Doing what Daddy wants
by LivingIn221b
Summary: 15 year old Nicole is a brilliant performer, all thanks to her Dad, Gene Hunt but when he has a major accident her world is turned upside down. A few months after him waking from a 3 year coma, Gene and Alex's worlds merge. Galex of course!
1. Hearing the news

**Hey! This is my first Fan Fic, I have loads of idea's but I thought I would share this one with you, **

**I don't own anything.**

**Oh, and if you got confused from the summary this IS an ashes to ashes fic! Just be patient for the next chapter and you'll see! **

**

* * *

  
**

My name is Nicole. I'm 15 years old. When I was 12 years old my Dad had a major accident. He was kept in a coma for 3 years. Last year, by a miracle he woke up. My dad found who he wanted to, and he made sure I carried on with my dreams, now in 2009 we're all living together as one complete family. But it's not 2009 I'm here to tell you about.

* * *

~22nd May 2005~

"Mum what are you doing here?" Nicole stepped out of school to see her mother standing there, her make-up was smudged like she had been crying. Nicole noticed and suddenly felt sick with worry. "What's happened?"

Cheryl bent down to Nicole's height. She took a deep breath in, "Nicole, there's been an accident." She had to try to fight back more tears and be strong for her daughter.

Nicole knew it had to be her Dad. He had one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, but her Mum was crying, why would she cry about her Dad? "What kind of accident?" Her voice was shaky.

Cheryl gulped, she knew she hadn't given Nicole the best life she could have, she left her at 3 years old, and had never been to one school play, but now she had to be there. Her Dad was Nicole's world, he done everything for her. "Your dad."

The tears stung her eyes, and she was suddenly very aware she was stood outside her school with everyone watching her break down into tears, "Is he dead?"

"No." Cheryl replied quickly, "But, there's a lot of complications Nicole, he may not make it."

"But he has to! I can't live the rest of my life with _you_!" She couldn't stand there anymore, she hated her Mum. She was so selfish, she asked for a child and when she got it she just rejected her. Nicole ran, the tears violently flowing down her cheeks.

"NICOLE!" Cheryl called after her. But it was no use, she knew she where she was going, so she just let her go. Again.

* * *

Nicole ran around the corner to the big stone cottage on Haywood drive, completely out of breath but she didn't stop running until she got to the big oak door. She pushed it open and walked into the big living room, where she saw her grandmother sat in her favourite Chester-suite back chair, with a hankie in hand. She looked up and saw her granddaughter walking towards her crying her eyes out.

"Mammar." She whimpered and put her arms out to hug her.

"Oh come her Nicole." She smiled bravely and hugged her affectionately. "It's all going to be okay." Nicole sniffed, out of her whole family, there was only 3 people who really cared about her. Every one else just wanted fame and money.

They stayed there for about 10 minutes, until Nicole stopped crying. Alice wiped her eyes dry, and went to get her a drink of water. When she came back Nicole was sat looking down at the floor. "Where do you think I'll stay?" She muttered.

"What was that darling?" She asked as she passed her the glass.

"When he dies. What will I do?"

"Nicole, you Dad is not going to die. You know that. As long as you are on this earth he will breathe for you."

Nicole took a sip of her water. "I don't know what I can do without him Mammar, he's the reason I am what I am today. Without him..."

"Honey, what did he say to you the day you were born?" Alice asked.

"That, I would be a star one day." She replied.

"Exactly, and what happened?" Alice urged Nicole to answer.

"I got famous... Somehow." She smiled weakly, even know Nicole didn't believe she had the great singing voice everyone said she had.

"And what else did he say?"

"He would always be there for me." She took another sip of water.

"And that's what he's going to do. Be there for you. But right now, he needs you to be there for him." Nicole nodded.

"I know."

* * *

**Please review, as it's my first fic I haven't got a clue how I am. And don't be scared to tell me if its rubbish!**

* * *


	2. Electric

**Chapter 2 very early, but I'm going away next week and I thought the last chapter wasn't the best of endings, so here's chapter 2.**

**Despite my best efforts, I still don't own anything. **

**

* * *

**

~13th February 1982~

"Bolly get away from there!" Gene shouted at Alex as she was just about to turn the kettle on. Alex jumped and turned around.

"What?!" Gene looked scared, and walked up to her.

"There's a leak, it would 'ave blown up in your face!" Gene pointed to the leak coming from the cupboard above it.

"Okay, but you didn't need to say it like I was just about to die or something." She wiped the water from the walls.

"That's not funny." He said and turned away. Alex wondered what she had said wrong. She put her hand on his arm.

"Guv? What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothin'," He replied and walked straight out. Alex knew there was obviously something wrong. She had never seen him like that before. His face was full of, fear? Surely not, Alex thought. But, everyone has to have a fear of something.

* * *

~22nd May 2005~

It rained all that night, Nicole just sat at the window looking out into the dark, listening to the pitter patter of the rain hitting the window, praying that the next phone call would tell her some good news.

_"He was electrocuted." The voice on the phone said. "Electrocuted? How in gods name did he get electrocuted!?" Nicole replied. "Well what we are aware of is that an electrical pole fell on his car, at the moment he is in a deep coma. We can't predict how long he will be like this Miss Hunt. There are a lot of complications, he could be like this for years until his body heals itself." It replied. "Years!? Isn't there anything you can do doctor?" She prayed. "No, He just needs to heal himself." The doctor said. "okay, thanks doctor." She said miserably and hung up the phone._

Of all the things, Nicole thought, electrocuted? She chuckled at the irony, all those times her dad had shouted at her for leaving her straighteners on, and using high energy hairdryers, but it wasn't a laughing matter. Years until he could wake up? She couldn't wait that long. She knew she couldn't permanently live with her grandmother, it would have to be her mums. Nicole shivered at the thought of it. Staying with her Mum, and her boyfriend, and that daughter of his, Catherine. She hated the little Brat. Ever since Cheryl has started going out with Eric she knew he was a numb skull. She had wrote a song about it and performed it live, and he was stupid enough to buy the album and go around saying, "That's my step-daughter!" That was another thing she hated. The word 'Step-Daughter' He was in no way her father of any kind, he was just a pathetic little man who was using her mum for money.

No, she thought, there's got to be some other place I can stay, I'm famous aren't I? But then she thought about it, what did famous even mean? She got V.I.P seats at concerts, she had fans who posted endless blogs about her on the internet. But she was 12 years old. She didn't even have the memory of a decade and she was loved worldwide. She had a small gig in a theatre down town the next month. How was she suppose to do it without her dad there? She was always independant, her dad was a DCI, he was important, he worked night after night at his job, but he was always there.

She smiled at the image of her dad sat at his desk as she walked into CID after school, sometimes he wasn't there, so she would just sit and chat with the WPC, Shaz Granger about gossip and music and all stuff that would get her in trouble when he got back for distracting Shaz. But she had grown up in that place, it was where she secretely wanted to be when she grew up. The singing was great, it was her heart and soul, but she felt she had what it takes to be in the force too. She loved being just 'The Guv's gal' instead of 'Stardazzle 12 year old rock chick'. At least she had that division, no one really knew who she was. Her dad had a good job of making sure she had a seperate life from the fame, he didn't want his daughter to grow up constantly in the lime light.

"Are you going to get some sleep young lady?" A voice behind her distracted her from her thoughts. Nicole turned around and saw her Grandmother stood in her dressing gown with two cups of hot chocolate.

"Can't Mammar. I'm just waiting to wake up from this nightmare." Alice walked over to her and handed her a mug, then pinched her arm.

"Ow! What was that for?" Nicole asked.

"I wan't it to be a dream too darling, but sometimes life just isn't that fair." Nicole nodded

"I know." She sighed. "Mammar, how am I suppose to get through this?" She asked, Alice took a gulp of her drink.

"Do what your Dad wants you to do Nicky, I raised a strong boy, he's going to be fine." Nicky just smiled, her grandma was right, her dad was Gene Hunt, the greatest man she knew. So she would have to stick out a couple of years with her Mum? She would be there for her Dad as much as she could, do what he always wanted her to do.

"Unbreakable is the word." Nicole said, Alice smiled.

"Exactly Pop, unbreakable."

* * *

**Okay, I promise the Galex will come, just please stick with it for the while, it will all come together soon!**


	3. Living with Mum

**Hey, I'm back and ready to get this story going! Thank you sooo much everyone who reviewed and subscribed and added to their favourites! You don't know how happy it makes me, *Big smiley face***

**So, I was on holiday, listening to my Ipod, thinking, what songs should I do for this Nicole? And some thing hit me! _stupid Frisbee_. Let's play a game :) Every chapter I'll add a few lines from a song, and lets see who gets the artist and name of the song! (Just trying to make things fun for you all) The songs will range in years, but strangely start from 2008. Little clue there for you. **

**In this chapter I felt I should fill it up a bit instead of jumping straight to 2008, so it's pretty much just a few comical stories etc of how Nicole is dealing with living with her Mum for 3 years. It's also all set in the place where I live, which is a town in Nottinghamshire. And 'Millbrook' is a mental hospital, just so you all know. **

**I do not own anything, including the lyrics to a mentioned song. **

* * *

~4th August 2006~

"Thats rude!" Catherine said as she leaned over Nicole's shoulder. She was looking at some lyrics Nicole was rehersing in her bedroom.

"Bugger off." She said to her.

"I'll tell Mummy what it says."

Nicole kept her eyes looking at the sheet. "K." she replied, she wasn't actually listening to her, she was trying to figure out a line that should go after, '_can't sleep with the man who dims my shine._'

Catherine noticed that Nicole wasn't taking any notice so she grabbed the piece of paper and ran out.

"Give me that back you little brat!" Nicole screamed at Catherine as she ran out of her room giggling. Nicole quickly stood up off of her bed and chased her, but Catherine just turned around, stuck her tongue out at her and slammed her door shut.

"Mum! That stupid ginger pu..." Nicole started to shout down to Cheryl.

"Oh Nicole stop being so stupid." She shouted up the stairs to her.

"Fine." Nicole said to herself. "If you're not going to do anything about it, I will." She walked back into her bedroom, went to the side of her wardrobe and picked some thing up. She walked straight up to Catherine's door and shouted, "Last chance Mum or I bust it down!"

Cheryl just tutted and didn't reply, which she regretted when she suddenly heard a loud crack and bang then Catherine crying.

Nicole shifted the broken door out of the way, walked straight up to Catherine and snatched the paper back off of her. "You never steal anything from me again!" She screamed at Catherine then stormed back out of the room, making sure to kick the door a little more on her way out. Cheryl started to rush up the stairs and she gasped out loud when she had saw what Nicole had done.

"Nicole how could you do that to your sister!?" She screamed at her. Nicole turned around and looked at her smugly.

"I warned you, warned you twice." Then she casually strolled back into her room, shut the door on Cheryl's face and sat back down on her bed and carried on writing her new song she was working on.

Two minutes later Catherine walked back into her room and just stood there looking at Nicole, Nicole noticed her in the reflection of her mirror and sighed. "You got over that quickly." She said to her with her head still down at the paper.

"Mummy said you should apologise." Catherine said.

"Oh yeah?" Nicole said, and turned her head to look at Catherine. "Well, Catherine, I am sorry... That I am stuck in this Millbrook like place and that I have lost 5.6 percent of my fans to some cheapo slut that can sing better out her arse. And that's all down to you." She said coldly, then turned her head back. Catherine just stood bewildered and scared, she couldn't think of what to reply so she said,

"You called me ginger earlier." Nicole just pulled a face and rolled her eyes.

"That is information I already know." She replied. Catherine screwed up her face and folded her arms.

"Yeah well you've got blue in your hair! That's just stupid!" She said with a squeaky voice.

"Yeah, that's meant to be there dumb ass. Now leave me alone." She warned Catherine, who just stood there. Nicole turned around, then stood up. "I said get out." She said loudly and pointed to the door.

"No." Catherine replied. Nicole raised her eyebrows at her then walked over to the wardrobe, Catherine turned her head towards her and noticed what she was getting out, so she quickly ran out of the room and slammed the door shut. Nicole chuckled and went to sit back down, when she froze,

"_I'm in the bedroom, with tissues and when I know your outside banging and I wont let you in," _She sung, then smiled and quickly jotted it down on the paper.

* * *

~3rd February 2007~

"See you later!" Nicole shouted just as she was heading through the front door, Cheryl quickly appeared out of the kitchen door wearing a shabby old apron and carrying an electrical whisk.

"Where do you think you're going?" She said to Nicole in a high pitched voice.

"Swimming." Nicole replied.

"Since when did you go swimming on a Thursday afternoon?" She asked. Nicole had a confused face,

"Like, since, forever!" She said, she couldn't believe her Mum didn't even know she disappeared for 2 hours every thursday.

"Oh, well you're not going anywhere anyway." She said to her sternly. Nicole blinked.

"Why?!" She said to Cheryl. Cheryl crossed her arms.

"You could be attacked by Paparazzi or something, you aren't going anywhere without your body guard."

"I don't have a body guard. I don't need one, haven't you ever noticed that when I do gigs in public that I have black hair and sunglasses on? Plus, the fact that 'Stardazzle' lives in London and Nicole Hunt lives in Nottinghamshire."

Cheryl stood looking at her daughter, In truth she had never actually heard Nicole sing before, never mind watched her. Nicole stared at her, sighed, and walked out the door.

"Some mother." She said under her breath, but loud enough for Cheryl to hear just before she slammed the door shut on her face. "What, did she just think I would go out looking like I do and sing in public, fat chance, I aint getting caught in the media. Grrr." She muttered as she walked down the street.

* * *

~17th July 2007~

"I'm not going to some stupid out-laws wedding!" Nicole shouted at her mum in the middle of a dress shop.

"You'll be singing a song for them too." Cheryl replied.

"Ha, I wouldn't hold your breath, I'm not even goin." She folded her arms.

"What song should you sing? Wonderland? Thats a nice one." Cheryl said.

"You've only listened to it once when you walked in when I was playing it on the piano at Grandma's!" She protested.

"I know, but it was still really nice," Cheryl said.

"I'm not singing that! I'll do a retake of Bryan Adams if you really want me to sing." She said, slightly giving in and she walked around the shop looking at the different dresses.

"Oh that would be lovely! Do Heaven that's my favourite." Cheryl said, glad that Nicole had promised to sing at the wedding.

"Fine." Nicole replied, "So what dress are you buying me?" She asked.

"What? I'm not buying you a dress, you can pay for these! Some people aren't as rich as you, you know." Cheryl said.

"I am not rich!" Nicole shouted loudly. "I'm a normal 13 year old you know! I expect pocket money and all that. I can't touch what money I make! So do not try to sponge off of your own daughter!" He face was going slightly red with anger, and Cheryl just gazed at her. Nicole breathed deeply, shook her head and quickly walked out of the shop before shouting "Un-bloody-believable!" At the top of her voice for everyone to hear her. Then she slammed the door shut making the bell chime loudly.

When Cheryl turned around she noticed all eyes where on her, she just smiled, said, "Teens eh?" And casually strolled out the shop.

"That was so embarrassing Nicole!" Cheryl said to Nicole as she finally caught up with her.

"Good." Nicole replied. She turned the corner.

"Where do you think your going?" Cheryl said to her.

"I'm staying at Auntie Shaz's tonight." She said.

"No you are not! You are coming back home with me!" Cheryl said and grabbed Nicole's arm.

"1, No I am not going to _your_ home. 2, I already made plans ages ago and yes, I did tell you but your lost brain just don't care..."

"That is not true..." Cheryl tried to but in,

"And 3," Nicole said loudly, "I'm sick of doing what Mummy wants." She released herself from Cheryl's grip and carried walking up the street, a single tear drop rolling down her cheek.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed it, please review and I will get the next chapter up, (which will be better, and a whole lot more Ashes To Ashes related) Soon. **

**Thanks again x**


	4. Getting back to what he forgot

**Here we go, what you've all been waiting for and what should make this rather dull story better, Chapter 4 is here!**

**I don't own anything! including the mentioned song, Unbreakable by Bon Jovi.**

* * *

~12th November 1982~

Ray walked into CID to see everyone in complete silence, Chris was hugging a teary Shaz. "What's 'appened?" He asked them.

"They've found 'im." Chris replied.

"Where?" Ray asked.

"At the bottom of a river bed." Shaz choked. Ray had to sit down quickly.

"Wh..." He tried to speak.

Suddenly the doors of CID opened and everyone looked round to see their substitute Cheif walking through.

"As you probably all know, DCI Gene Hunt has been found, dead." He said rather proffesionally. "He had only been dead for 5 hours when his body was found at 6 this morning by some fishermen on the Trent. Some tests where done at the scene and it has come back that his Alcohol level was sky high. More news is that, I will now be your permanent Cheif Inspector." He announced.

Shaz had a look of disgust on her face, she hated DCI Vancel. It was his eyes, she decided,they had a look of pure evil.

"It'll be okay." Chris whispered in her ear, but Chris didn't know if it really was going to be okay. Him and Ray had always had the Guv there. To be honest, they didn't have a clue what to do. They slowly started to loose him the day that Alex had slipped away in the hospital, he just wasn't around any more. They figured he'd ran off somewhere, and tried to get away from the questioning.

What they didn't know was that there was something else that was haunting him after the death of Alex.

* * *

~11th November 1982~

"His heart rates gone right up, it looks like he might be finally waking up." A female voice said in Gene's head as he walked around in the dark, stumbling over tree trunks. It felt like he'd been walking around trying to get out of the woods forever, he was so dizzy he couldn't even remember what he was doing there.

He had started to get images of a little girl, sitting at a piano and smiling at him, voices in his head and memories of his life with Nicole. They had all started coming to him since Alex had died from getting shot. By him. He couldn't stand life in the 80's any more after that, he was remembering that he had abandond his daughter, and he needed to get back to her, what ever it took.

There was something else he needed to get back too. Alex. She may have died in 1982, but she had told him she was from 2008, well he was from 2005, which meant he had left Nicole for 3 years.

He finally got to a muddy river bank, and he slumped down on a rock, with his hands in his head. His head was spinning and the voices wouldn't stop, he looked up across the river to see a bright light.

"Come on Daddy, You've rested for too long, you can wake up now." A young girls voice said to him from the direction of the light.

"Nicole." He recognised the voice and quickly stood up. His head really hurt, to the point where he thought the bright light was part of his drunkeness. He just thought he had been going crazy, because of Alex. But it all just dawned on him, This was his chance to get back to Nicole, back to reality. Without a second thought he jumped into the river and swam towards the white light.

-  
~23rd May 2008~

"Come on Daddy. "_Im unbreakable, unstoppable, come on bring it to me, coz im always gonna be unbreakable_." Nicole sang to Gene who was layed in a hospital bed. If anything was going to wake him up it was that song, it was his motto, she had tears rolling down her eyes but she started to smile when his fluttered his eyes open.

Everything was blury. He could just make out the outline of Nicole looking over him. "Dad!" She threw her arms around him.  
Gene smiled and put an arm around her, "Hey Star. 'old on." He looked at her. "You are Nicole aren't you?" He teased. Nicole laughed and nodded her head.

He wasn't feeling any pain what so ever, infact he felt like he would be able to get up and run a marathon.

"So how long 'ave I been in the land of the living?" He asked.

"Three years." Nicole replied.

"Bloody 'ell." He looked at Nicole who was now sitting at the end of his bed. "I'm so sorry Star." He said to her. He just couldn't believe he forgot his own daughter.

"It's okay Daddy." She said to him, and gave him another hug.

They stayed there for about 5 minutes until Nicole finally said, "Dad?"

"Yeh Star?" He replied.

"Where did you get that accent from?" She asked him.

Gene smiled, "Yeh don't wanna know." He said.

-  
~23rd May 2008~

"Your what?!" Alex said to her DCI.

"Look, you're an excelent Inspector Alex, but you aren't what we're looking for here any more." He said to her.

"So you're just getting rid of me? I'm perfectly fine!" She protested.

"No, we are not getting rid of you. Come on Alex, you know as well as me that since the. Incident. You have changed a great deal..."

"Oh God." She butted in.

"...Now, I've been talking to some people who think it would be a good move to transfer you up to Nottingham." The DCI said.

Alex stood, mouth wide open in shock.

"Nottingham?! What am I going to do there? What about Molly's school?" She shouted loudly. She just couldn't believe this, her first day back on the job and she wasn't welcome any more.

"There is an excelent private High School up there, we will pay for her fee's during her whole school years." He said, hoping that in some way she would negotiate with him.

Alex grabbed the leaflet he was handing her of a school and quickly scanned through it. She was impressed, it seemed good. She turned it over to the back and noticed the prices. So, it was good, and cheap. It would get her out of London, which she had wanted to do ever since the shooting, get Molly safe. And maybe this was it, she thought. The opportunity to start fresh, a whole new place, a whole new team.

"The job?" She asked. The DCI smiled, he knew he had gave her an offer she wouldn't refuse.

"Working with a team in Nottingham CID. You'll enjoy it, their DCI has just came back from an extremely long sickness himself and their Super thinks it would be a good idea to have someone with a degree in Psychology."

Alex nodded. Sounded like what she wanted herself. The type of job she was doing in the 80's, which she missed. "And where will I stay?"

"A nice small house, in a town just outside Nottingham. We have everything planned for you, all you have to do is say yes and pack your stuff up."

Alex took a deep breath in, how could she let this oppurtunity go? She couldn't, could she. "When?"

The DCI smiled, "Any time." He replied.

Alex smiled, shook his hand and said. "Pleasure working with you Sir, have a good life." And she walked straight out of the room.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter, Galex to come!**


	5. Can't stay away from the Gene Genie

**Hiya again everyone, thanks for all who have reviewed! I hope you're all enjoying the story up to yet, I'm trying I promise! **

**Im praying that this Chapter is successful because i'm not too sure myself...**

**I still don't own anything!**

* * *

"Are You Alright?" Gene asked Nicole as he walked past her bedroom door and saw her curled in a ball in bed.

"Not particularly." She replied. Gene walked into her room and sat next to her on her bed and felt her forehead.

"You look a bit pale, I'll call the school and wor.."

"No." Nicole said quickly. "You can't miss work Dad. I'll be fine."

"Sure?" Gene asked.

"Sure." She said and tried to smile.

"Do you want anything to eat?" He asked her.

"No, I feel too sick."

Gene sighed, "Probably a bug darlin', you'll be fine soon." He said and stood up. "I'll call yer later, see how yer doin' k?"

Nicole nodded. "K."

* * *

"Guv?" Ray asked as he walked in CID. Gene was stood looking at some files on a table.

"Yeah?" He replied, his head still looking down.

"You didn't tell us there was a new D.I comin' today." He said.

Gene looked up with a confused face. "What you goin' on bout?" He asked.

"You meen you didn't know?"

"Know what? What's goin' on Carling?" He asked, with his voice slightly raised.

"There's a new D.I Guv, she's comin' today."

"Not heard 'owt bout that." He said, confused.

"Well I've just been asked if we've got a desk clear for her." Ray said.

"What's her name?" Gene asked. Still trying to remember being told this information.

Ray shrugged his shoulders. "Can't remember, Drake I think it was."

Gene's heart stopped. "Drake?" He asked.

"Yeah, I reckon that's what he said. Why?" He asked?

"Are you havin' me on? You've been talkin' to Nicole 'aven't you?"

Ray stood looking confused now. "No Guv, I swear. What's so important about that name?"

Gene looked down at the floor. "Every thing's important about that name."

* * *

Come 12oClock and there was no sign of any new D.I, so Gene assumed that Ray must have talked to Nicole. He had told her everything about the coma.

So he sent everyone off for dinner, but stayed back himself to call Nicole.

When the phone rang she was still in the same position that Gene had left her in.

"Hey." She answered weakly.

"Feelin' any better?" He asked her.

"No." She replied. "Feels like a migraine..."

"What have you been talkin' to Ray about then?" Gene jumped straight to the point.

"What? Nothing out of the ordinary. To be quite honest I don't really like Ra..."

"So who is it you've been talkin' to then? Shaz?" He asked.

"Dad, spit it out." Nicole knew there was something he was blaming her for, it was just what it was that she wanted to know.

He took a breath in, then the door to CID opened. Gene could have sworn the room suddenly got brighter. There she was, the most beautiful woman in the world. He couldn't believe it, he didn't believe it.

She didn't notice straight off, she opened the door, and looked around. It was strange, she thought. The layout was pretty much the same as the one at Fenchurch East.

"Well?" Nicole said on the other side of the phone. Gene snapped out of his daze.

"I'll call you later." He said. And that's when she noticed him.

"Gene?" Alex breathed. Her chest went tight, she was so confused as to what was going on.

Gene stood up, and walked over to her, keeping full eye contact. None of them dared to speak, or breathe for that matter.  
Gene looked at Alex, her hair was pretty much the same, less curls, but she had styled it to how it looked in the 80's when she had got better. Her clothes were a lot different from what he was used to seeing her in, and she wasn't wearing as much make-up, but like that mattered he thought.

"Just can't keep away from the Gene Genie can ya Bolls?" He braved to say. This was where she either looked at him and said,  
"Who?" Or...

She smiled at him with a cheeky look on her face, then she dropped the box she was carrying on the floor, threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Gene was taken by surprise, he pulled back from the kiss and looked at her quizzically.

"Sorry." She said, and went to take her arms away from being around his neck but Gene grabbed her waist and pulled her back quickly. "I guess I err... Couldn't resist." She said, there faces inches apart.

"Not complainin' am I Bolly?" She smiled, she had missed that Nick-name so much. She never actually realised how much she had missed Gene either.

"Noo.." She said getting even closer, "You wouldn't dare." She said cheekily, and they pressed their lips together again, letting the kiss deepen.

"Ahem," They heard from some one stood behind them. They quickly sprang apart after having been kissing for the past 10 minutes without coming up for air. Alex turned around and saw Ray stood with his arms folded, eye brow raised and chewing on gum. "Like the new D.I I take it Guv?" He said with a smug smile on his face.

"Back To Work Carling." Gene growled.

"Right Guv." He said, but not before checking out Alex bottom, which didn't go un-noticed by her.

"Stop looking at my arse Ray." She said and walked over to the desk that Gene was leaning on.

"How do you know my name?" Ray asked. Alex looked up at Gene.

"He doesn't...?"

"Nope." Gene said.

"Wow, that's just made me look like a real slag." Alex said with her eyes wide open.

* * *

**Please Review on this one, I'm really un sure about it...**

**Hope you liked it!**


	6. Told yer I was good

**Sorry about the long wait everybody! - I do apologise for this chapter, it is pretty... dull. But it kinda needs to be done in order for the story to progress. Which means... More fun to come. (Yay!) Thank you to every one who has reviewed, and even read! Sorry to my reviewers who I didn't reply too, I usually do but my computers been dodgy recently so I promise to get back to you next time!  
**

**Still not owning anything! **

**Enjoy x **

**

* * *

**"Yeah, like this is real." Alex said to Gene as they sat in his office. Gene looked confused,

"What?" He asked. Alex laughed. "Are you seriously trying to tell me that you are really 'Gene Hunt' the same one that I met in 1981?" Alex said sarcastically.

"You're not the only one who's as confused as a bisexual in a porn shop either Bolly, and don't waggle your fingers when you say my name." Alex's eye's widened. He said on the first day we met, she thought. She didn't know why but she started scanning around the room for inspiration that told her she was just dreaming. "I'm a different person here Bolls."

Alex turned and looked back at him. "How do you mean?" She asked.

"I've got important things, people in my life. So much more important than me."

"You've got a child haven't you?"

Gene smiled at the memory of Nicole being a child. "She was a child when I left here, She's certainly not no more."

"How old is she?" Alex asked.

"15."

"My DCI, told me that you'd had a long-term illness?"

Gene put his head down, "Yeah." He coughed, "Long-term was the right thing to say. I was electrocuted."

Alex's jaw dropped. "So that's why." It suddenly made sense to her why he once went mental at her for not noticing there was a leak near electrics before.

"Why what's why?" He asked.

"I can't believe this." Alex sat back and put her hand on her forehead. "S... So after you were, electrocuted, you went into a coma?" She asked.

Gene nodded, "Yep." Gene shook his head, "Next thing I know Sam Tyler'll be walking trough those doors."

"You don't know do you?" Alex asked.

"Know what?"

Alex didn't know where to start, she was pretty star struck as it was, but now she had to do the painful thing of telling Gene about Sam... "He was in a car accident..."

"Yeah, I know Bolly, it was my car." He butted in.

"No, this wasn't in 1980. This was in 2006."

"Oh." Gene couldn't think of any thing else to say, two of his DI's that he had in his coma turned out to have had a near- death experience like him, and got into the same place. Now, once he thinks he is burying it all, the person who he had always wanted, loved, and most of all, never understood, is now telling him that they're all linked. What else are you suppose to say?

"...It took him to you, to 1973."

Gene shook his head, "This explains too much."

"Gene, there's more." Alex tried to tell him

Gene stood up and started to walk around his desk. 'I don't think I want to hear it Bolly."

Alex stood in his way, "Don't you think it's better to hear it from me than to read it in some old news paper?"

Gene looked down at Alex, and sighed. "Why did you kiss me anyway?" He asked, to try and change the subject.

Alex looked up at him. She didn't really know how to answer that question, she was just so surprised and overwhelmed to see him. She knew the answer, but whether it was something he would want to hear, she didn't know. Suddenly her eyes filled with tears and she had to break the eye contact.

"I've been looking for you." She said, and a single tear drop fell down her cheek. "Ever since I woke up." Gene stood closer to her, Alex didn't care about crying any more, if he really was a different man here, he should act differently, She thought. And he did, he stroked her hair, and dried her tears. "And when I stop, I find you. What happened, was something I've dreamed about." She looked up into his eyes, as if to ask for permission to continue. She took in a deep breath, "It's true what they say, you don't realise how much you love some one until they've gone, and then you realise that you missed your chance. And when you walked up to me," She smiled, "It clicked. I got the chance back, and to be honest I thought I was dreaming. And that's why I kissed you."

Gene smiled. "Told yer I was good."

Alex pulled back, "Come again?"

Gene had a sparkle in his eye, "Bolly, I just made you do something I couldn't make you do in over 12 months in the space of 2 hours." Alex looked confused to hide the fact that he was absolutely right. Gene walked back round his desk and sat back down. "I guess I owe you an apology too."

"What for?" Alex asked as she sat down.

"Uhh... For shooting you." He said sarcastically.

Alex had completely forgotten about that, to her it was the thing that got her back to her little girl. She wasn't angry at him, but he had just totally tricked her into admitting she loved him. "Oh yeah, nearly forgot about that Hunt." She smiled cheekily, but then noticed the look of guilt in his eyes. "Don't feel guilty Gene, I don't blame you, it was an accident." It felt weird, being able to talk about the coma to some one. Gene had told Nicole all about it, but Alex didn't want to pry on her daughter by telling her about it.

"I love you too by the way." He said casually.

Alex's heart jumped, the words she never expected him to say to her. What was she suppose to say back now? Great? Brill? "Damn you Gene Hunt." Maybe the wrong choice of words there. She said to herself.

"Thanks." Gene replied with a smirk on his face. "Where the 'ell is everyone any way?" He asked as he looked out his office. Alex turned around, and noticed the clock on the wall.

"I don't know, no ones been here for the past hour." Just as she said that the doors opened and Nicole walked in.

"Why aren't you in bed?" Gene growled at her. Nicole dropped some magazines on Shaz's desk and walked into his office.

"Forgot to give Auntie Shaz those." Gene rolled his eyes. "Nicole, this is my new DI, Alex Drake."

Nicole turned and raised her eye brows. "THE DI Alex Drake?" She asked and offered a hand out to Alex.

"In the flesh." Alex replied and shook her hand

Nicole sat down and tried to figure it all out, eventually she just gave up and said, "I'm not even gonna ask." She said.

"Any way, I'm gonna go get a drink, any one want one?" She asked Gene.

"Silly question Star, yeah get us both one." He said.

"K, where's Auntie Shaz any way?"

"Not a clue, haven't seen any of the team since this mornin'. I dunno what tosser they had for a DCI for 3 years, but they seem to think it's alright to bugger off any where they want." He moaned.

Right at that moment the doors swung open and Ray burst in panting. "Guv, we've got him!" He said, out of breath.

"Who?" Gene asked.

"Carver! We just picked him up!" He said.

"Oh." Gene stood up, rolled his eyes and left Nicole and Alex in his office.

"So, tea? sugar?" Nicole asked Alex.

"I'll help." She smiled and walked into the kitchenette with Nicole.

After they had made the drinks, they sat down at a table and started to chat,

"So," Nicole started, "You're from like, 1981?"

"In a way." She replied. "I was shot, a couple of months ago, in the head which took me into a coma, which obviously the same one your dad was in. Then I lived there for about a year and half, then managed to wake up back here."

"How did you get back?" Nicole asked innocently.

"Well, err, your dad..." She started to say.

"Bolly!" Gene shouted loudly as he walked into CID.

Alex blew a sigh of relief. "That would've been awkward." She said under her breath.

* * *

**I hope this chapter wasn't too boring, to be honest I did take a lot out. I promise I am going to make it more fun and more Ashes To Ashes-ish and more Galex :) Because you're worth it. **

**Please review - I'll get back to you now my walking instructions of a Dad has fixed my problems!**

**Hope you enjoyed reading!  
**


	7. This is too strange

**Sorry for the delay guys! Started back at school etc. Short chapter, which means I'll be posting soon.**

**Do Not Own A Dime!**

**

* * *

**

"Oh my god." Alex said as she walked around the corner and caught sight of Shaz. She hardly recognised her with her long hair. Everyone turned around to look at her, which they done with a confused face because none of them had a clue who she was.

"Everyone, this is our new Detective Inspector, I'd like you all to meet Alex Drake." Gene announced. Alex smiled and greeted everyone who offered her a hand. She walked round the room, and totally blanked Ray who just stood with his arms crossed scowling at her, which didn't go un-noticed by Gene.

"What's your problem?" Gene said to him quietly.

"He's got his knickers in a twist again." Nicole said as she went to sit on his desk.

"Shut up." Ray sad moodily.

"Told Ya." She said happiy to Gene, who smirked.

"Now common, tell me what your poutin' at." Gene said to him in a low voice.

"Nowt, It's just..." Ray began.

"He's just jealous Daddy." Nicole said cheekily. And Gene raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh yer?" Gene said to Ray who had a look of disbelief on his face.

"She just seems a bit of a tart." Ray said bravely.

"Ha, I thought same when I first met her too." Gene truthfully said.

"O'er," Ray said. "You had her tongue down her throat when you first met her."

"You told me she fainted." Nicole said confused, relating to the coma.

"She did." Gene told her.

"Oh, so that was just some mouth-to-mouth resuscitation that I saw earlier then?" Ray questioned.

"You kissed?" Nicole asked in a suprised and excited voice. Gene flashed her a cheeky glance, which made Nicole laugh. "Well, you have my blessing any way Dad, you both deserve each other." She said.

"Thanks Star." He said. "And you." Gene pointed at Ray. "Stop bein' a mard arse."

Nicole cracked out laughing and followed Gene over to where Alex was chatting to Chris.

"So are you 2 married then?" Alex asked Chris.

"Who 2?" Chris asked confused.

"You and Shaz." Alex said.

"Me and Shaz?" Chris laughed. "No. We don't even go out, why do you ask?"

Alex looked up at Gene, which Nicole noticed and instantly realised that they must have gone out in the coma.

"'Cause you ought to stop being such a man and ask her out." Nicole said to him.

"She an 'independant' woman." Chris mocked, "In other words, she's a les..."

"She is not!" Nicole defended. "Stop being such an arse Chris!"

"Nicole." Gene said to her, to try and calm her down.

Chris looked over to Ray who nodded his head towards him for attention. "Well, er, it'll be a pleasure working with you." Chris said to Alex and wandered off to Ray.

"Chris and Shaz are together in the coma?" Nicole asked them both.

"Engaged." Alex said. "This is too strange." She shook her head.

"Look, Bolly, it's just going to take some getting used too. It's just like meeting them all over again." Gene said to Alex.

"Which is exactly what I'm doing. It's hard. Shaz was like my best friend and heck, look at her." She said.

"It was hard for me too Bolly..." Gene began

"Sorry." Nicole butted in. "But what the hell does Bolly mean?"

They both smiled. "It's champagne, short for Bollinger." Gene said.

"...And why do you call Alex that?"

"Because," Alex said, "In the words of your dad, I'm a posh mouthy tart."

"Dad! You shouldn't say that to women!"

Gene rolled his eyes. "Oh great, you've only met each other for a couple of minutes and already your ganging up on me."

Alex and Nicole chuckled. "Dad apologise to Alex now!" Nicole ordered Gene. Which completely surprised Alex, she thought she would never see the day Gene Hunt was being ordered around by a 15 year old girl.

"No." He said playfully.

"Yes, say it now!" She said.

Gene sighed. "Bolly I apologise for calling you a posh mouthy tart when clearly your only posh and mouthy."

"Okay, I'll admit to the mouthy one; but Gene, I'm not the one wearing an Austin Reed suit." Gene opened his mouth to protest about what she was wearing. "-New look." Alex smiled.

Gene looked across at Nicole's face which was full of amusement. "Wipe that look off your face Missy." He said to her, which made her laugh.

"You two are made for eachother." She chuckled and wandered off to talk to Shaz.

Alex and Gene smiled at each other about what Nicole had said. Maybe they were made for each other. It would make complete sense. Alex knew that Molly would get along with Gene, and she knew that Gene would be fine with Molly because he had a teenage daughter himself. Gene knew that Nicole had completely accepted Alex, and that she didn't mind if they had a relationship. There was just one thing to test now, Molly and Nicole.

* * *

**Please review. See ya next chapter!**


	8. Do I get a morning kiss?

**Hey! Tried to make this chapter a little longer. Added Galex in this one :) Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! Sorry to say I'm still here not owning a dime!**

**

* * *

**~The next day~

"Morning." Alex smiled at Gene as she walked into the empty CID. Gene looked up at her, half expecting yesterday to be a dream.

"Mornin' Bolls." He returned the smile. Alex walked over to her desk and looked over into Gene's office.

"Do I get a morning kiss?" She asked him.

"If you want one, come and get one."

She slowly walked into his office and round his desk. "You have given me an offer I cannot refuse." She smiled and leaned in to kiss him.

Suddenly Ray burst into the CID and they both turned their heads towards him quickly. "Sorry I'm late Guv I..." He started to say before he noticed no one else was in either. "Oh. Where is everyone?" He asked.

"Not a clue." Gene said in an angered voice. That was the second time he'd interrupted him and Alex and he was getting tired of it already. Alex just winked at him, then went to sit down at her desk for her second day of work.

* * *

"Oh my god Nicole. There's a little girl sat on our table." A tall brunette girl said to Nicole as they walked into their dining hall.

"Bloody hell Chloe where not American you know." Nicole replied and went to sit next to the girl. "Hi, my names Nicole." She said to her cheerily

The girl quickly looked at her and started to stand up. "I'm sorry was I sat on your table?" She said.

"No, sit down. It's okay." She said with a smile. The girl looked up at the gang of girls crowding around Nicole and looking down at her with loathsome eyes.

"My names Molly." She said.

"This is Chloe, Charlotte, Stefani and Kacey-Jayne." She said politely and pointed to all the girls who went and sat down.

"Call me Chlo." Chloe said.

"Call me Lotty." Charlotte said to her.

"You can call me Stef." Stefani said.

"K-J" Kacey smiled at her.

Molly looked at them all glaring back at her, "Call me Molls." She said with a smile.

All the girls turned to look at Nicole, it was like some type of sorority, only the girls Nicole liked would call her Nicki...

"Call me Nicki." Nicole said to Molly.

* * *

Alex walked in her small house and slumped down on the sofa in the crowded living, which was full of boxes that she hadn't unpacked yet.

"Molls?" She shouted in the direction of upstairs.

"Yeah?" She shouted down to her from her bedroom.

"We're going out tonight!" She shouted back up to her, Molly rushed down the stairs.

"How was your day?" She asked as she appeared in the living room.

"Strange, but kind of amazing." Alex said, Molly raised her eyebrow.

"Right... So where are we going tonight?" She asked.

"To my DCI's, he needs to run some things over."

"Oh okay. So who is he?" She asked curiously.

"Who? My DCI?" Alex sat up. "Uhhh... No one." She said playfully.

"Do you fancy him?" Molly asked eagerly.

"Molly!" She said in a fake shocked tone.

"Well?"

Alex rolled her eyes. She knew she was going to have to tell her something...."Okay. He was DCI when I was in the coma, which by the way I was a DI living in the 80's. Then he shot me, and I woke up here, now we've moved to Nottingham he just happens to be here, and oh it wasn't my coma, it was technically his. An electricity pole fell on his car and he was in the coma for 3 years, leaving his daughter and completely forgetting her until I died in the 80's"

"Cool." Molly said.

Alex sighed, "_Teenager's."_ She thought to herself.

"So, does that mean that you already know him?" Molly asked.

"Yep." Alex replied. "Have done for 2 years. Of course the rest of the team don't know that."

"Do you like him?" Molly asked.

"Why are you curious?" Molly shrugged her shoulders.

"Seem's like a match-made-in-heaven if you ask me."

"You mean you believe what I just told you?"

"Yeah. Why shouldn't I?" Molly asked.

"No reason." Alex said. "I'm just glad you do."

"What's his name?"

"Gene Hunt." Alex smiled at saying his name.

"Aww, you do like him!" Molly could tell.

"Alright but shh!" Alex joked. "Was school any better today?"

Molly smiled and nodded. "Yeah. I met some really nice girls."

"Good. Told yeah you'd make friends."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Molly said and jumped off the sofa and ran upstairs

* * *

"DAD!" Nicole shouted from the kitchen.

"What?" He shouted down from upstairs.

Nicole quickly got the remains of what ever was cooking out of the oven, wafting the smoke away and coughing at the same time. By the noises Nicole was making Gene sighed and walked down stairs, then caught sight of the smoke and bolted into the kitchen. Nicole just stood looking at the burnt remains with a look of disgust.

"What the hell was that suppose to be?" She asked.

"Bugger." Gene said. Nicole went to open a window before the smoke alarm started. "It didn't look like that when I put it in honest."

Nicole laughed. "So what's the occasion anyway?"

"There's no occasion." Gene said plainly.

"Sure..." Nicole said unsure. "Well can I go back to rehearsing without you attempting to burn the house down, _Father?" _

"Yes. Go. Rehearse. Dance. Sing. What ever." He said in dismay.

* * *

~20 minutes later~

Alex knocked on the door of Gene's house, which was set back on a private road. "Blimey." Alex said under her breath as she looked at it. She didn't have a clue how Gene had managed to get so rich, wearing expensive clothes, huge house, Jaguar XF on the drive.

Nicole went and answered the door, "Oh, hey Alex" She said "Oh my god, Molly! I didn't know your mum was Alex!" She said excitedly.

"You know each other already?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, we met at school today." Nicole told Alex as they walked into the house. "Small world!" She said as she led them into the kitchen where Gene was stood on the phone.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU LOST IT?" He shouted down the phone. He sighed to the reply and simply banged the phone down. "One thing that don't change Bolly, they're useless wherever they are!"

"What have they lost?" She asked.

"A murder file."

"How did they manage to loose that?" She said in a high pitched tone.

"For reasons I just said." He smiled.

"Well Chris is a numb skull anyway." Nicole added.

"My point exactly." He said. Molly looked around and noticed a 'Stardazzle' CD on the kitchen top.

"Oh cool, you like Stardazzle?" Molly asked, Nicole smiled.

"Yeah, you want it?" She gestured to the CD. Molly picked it up and read the track list.

"Oh my god! It's 'Something Crazy'! This shouldn't be out for another month!"

"Yeah I know." Nicole said and winked at her dad, which Alex noticed and found suspicious.

"How did you get this?" Molly asked.

"I'm very talented." Nicole said.

"So is Stardazzle!" Molly went on. "Have you seen her live? She's amazing!"

Nicole suddenly loved Molly more, "You've seen her live?" Nicole asked her.

"No. But I want too!" She said. Nicole nodded and held out her hand.

"Stardazzle. Nice to meet you."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed. See you next chapter! Please review. **

* * *


	9. Not letting you go this time

**I am so so so so sorry! But here - I give you chapter 9 and I PROMISE chapter 10 will be here REALLY soon! Thank you sooo much for your great reviews from last chapter :)**

**Don't own anything!**

* * *

"So pretty much, it's just over-looking as to why he was sick enough to rape his own dead mother's corpse after he had just killed her?" Alex said, sat on the sofa looking down at numerous piles of paper Gene had given her.

"Lovely init?" He said sarcastically. Alex sighed.

"Deranged is more the word." She said.

"Yeah, it was great, came back after three years to this. At least you can do all your fandy-dandy psychia…" Alex raised her eyebrow at him, "…ology to get everything back on track."

"Good save." She said cheekily. "So there's nothing else interesting to know about?" She asked hopefully, secretly not wanting to go. She felt really comfortable at Gene's house, knowing Molly and Nicole were friends, and they had seemed to have started a relationship, even neither of them had officially said anything.

Gene scanned his mind quickly of a reason for her to stay, and he hated the thought of it, but he couldn't let her go just yet. "No, nothin' you can't catch up on in a few minutes any way."

Alex nodded, her heart sinking a little, "Okay then." She smiled.

"So, I was thinking," Gene began to say, "You're right." He muttered.

Alex was shocked, _'Right?' _She thought _'Right about what? There's a million things he could say now...' _She just hoped it would be a good thing.

"About?" She asked.

"Sam." Gene said to her.

"Oh," She replied. "You want to know what happened?"

Gene nodded. "I'd rather hear it from you."

* * *

"...and that's how he made his choice." Alex finished

Gene sat with wide eyes, and completely speech-less. "Bloody 'ell h... he jumped off a building?"

"Yes."

"Bloody 'ell."

Alex lent forward and put her hand on his. "Do you see why _I_ wanted to tell you now?"

"Yeah." Gene said. "Thanks Bolls." He smiled to her.

She instantly smiled back, but broke the eye contact when they heard a scream coming from upstairs from Nicole and Molly. They both jumped up and hurried upstairs, to see Nicole and Molly huddled outside Nicole's bedroom door.

"What's wrong?" Gene asked Nicole.

"Spider! Really really big one!" She panicked. Gene sighed.

"Girls!" He huffed and walked into her room. He came out a minute later, "All gone."

"Are you sure?" Nicole asked. Gene rolled his eyes.

"Yes. I'm pretty sure I threw the right spider out the window!" He said in a sarcastic voice. A voice Alex would have instantly shut up at.

"Well, what did it look like?" Nicole asked. Gene smiled.

"It had 6 legs, wings and it went 'buzz' what do you think?" He joked.

Nicole laughed and playfully punched his arm. "Dad! You know what I meant!"

Alex smiled at the scene, it proved how different Gene really was with a daughter. She really liked to see the side he was lacking in the 80's. Gene turned and lead her back down the stairs, they went and sat down in the living room.

"Ray's been acting funny, what has he been saying?" Alex asked Gene.

Gene sighed, he didn't really want to talk about Ray right now but he thought he should explain to Alex about what was going on. "Well, let's just say I had to ask him to keep his stupid and wrong opinions to himself."

Alex burst out laughing, which made Gene smile. "Why what's wrong with him?"

"He's being a mard-arse." Gene said, which made Alex laugh even more.

"So why is his opinion wrong?" She asked.

"Well, he's pretty sour about us two."

"In what way?" She became very interested.

"Well let's just say he's a pathetic..."

"Gene!" She stopped him from carrying on saying. "I mean, why is he bothered about us, and what we done, did, have been doing?" She suddenly felt very cold, and got really anxious about where the conversation was going.

"Dunno." He replied. "I reckon he's a bible basher."

Alex laughed, "Oh yeah?"

"Well he started to give me a lecture about how I've always said that Nicole's the only female I'm bothered about." Gene suddenly regretted saying that, he didn't want Alex to get the wrong message. Unfortunately she did, her heart sank, but she smiled slightly.

"Well he is right. Nicole's an extraordinary girl. She probably needs all the attention from you as she can get." She bravely said.

Gene shook his head, "That's just the things though Bolly. She used to need me, but now, she does everything herself. Half the time it's her whose helping me, yeah she might need a bit of help with the concert stuff but that's it. It's strange, she was yay-high now she's..." Gene made a hand gesture then put his head in his hands as if he was in deep thought. Alex moved to sit next to him, and leaned on his shoulder. Gene automatically put his arms round her.

"What did you say to him?" Alex asked. A little happier now she understood that Gene obviously wanted the same as her.

"I told 'im that his lectures mean nothin' to me, and that if he want's to go round makin' his remarks he can do, 'cos there aint no way i'm lettin' you go this time." He said, slightly slipping back into his Manchester accent, which is something he had tried not to do considering he didn't want everyone asking questions as to how he had got it. Alex smiled, she was so glad that he had just said that, because it was her thoughts exactly when they had first seen each other again only a few days ago.

"Sounds good to me." She said smoothly, then she leaned closer to his ear and whispered, "Your voice is sexier like that by the way."

Nicole's mouth dropped open, having just stood outside the door listening in on the conversation, but eventually she smiled. She realised that eventually she might have a proper family, and finally say goodbye to her Mum. She rushed upstairs quietly and burst into her room where Molly was stood playing bowling on Nicole's Nintento Wii. Molly jumped up and down, "YES! I got above 1000 points!" She said excitedly, then looked at the expression on Nicole's face. "Whats with you?" She asked.

"Well..." Nicole began saying, "We're gonna be sisters!" She said happily.

Molly's jaw dropped, "Seriously?! They're actually getting together?" Nicole nodded. "Oh my god! Stardazzle is going to be my sister!" She squealed.

"Yeah! You can come to concerts and stuff! This is going to be awesome!" Nicole said.

"Perfect family! They deserve each other SO much!" Molly said, then went and hugged Nicole.

* * *

**Please review, good or bad! :)**


	10. Don't you dare get into trouble!

**Chapter 10 is here! I hope you enjoy it, I wanted to just focus on Gene and Alex for a little while, so theres plenty of Galex stuff, plus more to come. **

**Thank you so much to everyone who takes the time to read and review this story. **

**I don't own anything.**

**Enjoy! **

* * *

Alex crept round the corner of the dusty hall, hearing muffled voices she leaned closer to the door frame so she could hear the conversation between the two victims.

"I'm so sorry," A high-pitched voice said. Alex frowned; the caller had said there were two men being held captive, not females.

"Look, we're going to be okay. Don't blame yourself for this." A deeper voice whispered. "Did you hear that?" He said.

Alex quickly held her breath; he must have heard her breathing, after having just climbed 8 flights of stairs she didn't realise how out of breath she was.

"Hear what?" The higher pitched voice asked curiously.

Alex wanted to see who the victims where, but she had been given orders to simply find where they were, and not to be seen or heard. Having done her job, and being sure that no one was hurt, she quietly started walking back down the corridor of the abandoned hotel and slowly went back down the stairs. As she got to about the 5th flight she heard a creak behind her, she quickly whipped round to see no one there, so she carried on cautiously walking down the stairs. Her heart was beating heavily in her chest, and she felt like she was being watched, but she managed to get to the ground floor where she saw Gene arguing with another officer.

"See, she's alright isn't she?" The cocky young man said, but Gene saw the fear in her eyes as she went to stand next to him.

"Yeah, and it's a bloody good job too!" He growled at the officer, "Don't you ever give orders to any of my team again!" He said, putting an arm around Alex.

"I was only doing my job sir." The officer said coldly, and turned to walk off.

"Well learn how to do it right." Gene said after him, and then turned to look at Alex.

"Erm, eighth floor." She said shakily, "Room 86."

"How close did you get?" He asked.

"Close enough to know it's a man and a woman, but erm…" She began to say, and took a deep breath in, "When I was coming back down, I swear someone was behind me." She said, going into a whisper.

Gene stood in thought for a moment, "Right." He said to her, "You go outside; I'll take Ray and Chris up." He said, pushing her out the door.

"What? No!" She rebelled. "I know where the room is, you need me with you." She started to walk back towards the stairs, but Gene blocked her way.

"Bolls, I'll find it, you need to be on call for backup if we need it."

"Gene any idiot can do that! What are you going to do if someone has a gun?"

Gene sighed, he was adamant she was not going back up those stairs, "I've been in these situations plenty of times without you and I'm still here aren't I?"

Alex huffed, realising that he obviously wasn't going to give up she moved back. "Fine, But don't you dare get into trouble."

Gene resisted a smile, "Promise." He said sarcastically.

Alex rested her head on his chest, "I love you." She said quietly.

Gene went to immediately reply back, but Ray walked through the door, and he didn't want to show that type of weakness. "C'mon Bolly you sound like I'm never gonna come back."

Alex stood up straight, "Don't say things like that!"

Gene rolled his eyes, "You big softy, right, outside." He gestured towards the door. She turned and walked through, holding it open for Chris to go inside. Ray stood scowling at Gene, "Smile. Might never happen." He said to him sarcastically. Chris looked at them both, noticing the coldness between them both he decided to interrupt the awkward silence.

"Where bouts are they Guv?" He asked.

"Eighth floor." He said, and began walking up the stairs.

Alex stood outside, next to Shaz who seemed completely relaxed, chatting about something on the TV, at least that's what Alex could figure out, but she was constantly checking her watch. 5 minutes had passed and there was nothing to tell them everything was okay, or if it wasn't. She wasn't usually this anxious, it's just that she felt uneasy about the hotel, and she wasn't sure what it was. She just told herself she was being silly and attempted to relax a little.

They finally made it up to the eighth floor, and stopped just where Alex had previously been standing outside the door. The first priority was to get the captives out of the hotel, but things hardly ever went to plan. Gene pulled down on the door handle and slowly pushed the door open to see two men in a dusty hotel room, sat on the floor with their wrists tied to a bed post. They looked up at the three men and one said in a high pitched voice, "Oh thank goodness! Please help us!" Gene wanted to crack up laughing, it was actually two men, it was just that one of them was gay. Instead he gave Chris the order to get them out whilst he and Ray found who ever put them there.

"Right, who put you here then?" Gene asked them.

The older man stood up after Chris had cut the rope. "Thanks." He said to Chris. "And we don't have a clue," He said to Gene, "We were just driving along here when we noticed a broken down car, so Jacob here decided to stop and ask if they needed any help. When we got to them, they stuffed us in their car and drove us here."

Gene looked around the room, "Guv?" Chris said.

"Why this room?" He wondered, then snapped out of his trance and looked back at the two men, "Alright, so I'm guessing they aren't here anymore?"

"There's no car outside Guv." Ray said to Gene.

"Right." He said, "Well let's get you two down to the station then." Chris led them out of the door and they made their way back down the stairs. When they got outside Alex looked up and walked straight over to them, then noticed the two men and looked confused. "Gay." Gene explained simply to her.

"You don't say." She said, looking at the small man who was just getting into a car. "Any idea of who it was?"

Gene shook his head. "Claim to never seen 'em before."

"As always. Well we'll see about that." Alex said determinedly. She turned and both she and Gene walked back towards the car where Ray and Chris had already made their selves comfortable.

* * *

"Can you describe the car Mr Graves?" Alex kindly asked. The man relaxed into his chair and looked around at the interview room. Alex could see Gene's patience slowly wearing away. "Mr Graves?" She asked again.

"I think…" He began.

"…That it had 4 wheels and went brum?" Gene said sarcastically. Alex secretly smiled, but coughed to tell Gene it was inappropriate.

"Carry on Mr Graves." She said. He put his hands on his head.

"It all happened so fast... Blue." He nodded. "It was definitely blue."

"That really narrows it down." Gene mumbled, losing his patience.

"Perhaps your son can remember the model. How about the men? Can you tell us what they looked like?" Alex suggested, ignoring Gene.

"Yes, they were both dressed in dark tracksuits. They had their hoods up so I could only see their face a little. They didn't look English, and certainly didn't sound like it." Mr Graves said.

Alex glanced next to her and noticed Gene was just about to say something obviously insulting. "Thank you Mr Graves." She said quickly. "Now you've narrowed it down we can get searching right away." She led him out of the room and closed the door. She looked down at Gene and waited for him to say something. Instead he just sat back, thinking.

"Go on." Alex said.

"What?" Gene said innocently.

"Don't toy with me Hunt. Say something sarcastic just to get it out of your system." She said and went to sit on the table.

"And what makes you think I would want to say something sarcastic?" He mimicked her voice.

Alex scoffed, "Wel…" She began

"Hey," Gene pointed at her, "I could say something very professional." He said, and leaned on the table.

"Yeah, well god help us the day that that happens eh?" She joked, and then looked deep into Gene's eyes. They stayed like it for a few seconds until Gene quickly broke contact.

"Here's my opinion Bolls. Why say something stupid to look good, when you can get straight the point that I'm trying to make?"

Alex sighed in defeat, "Which is?" She regretted asking.

"Unless the gay prats any use, we're buggered."

* * *

Jacob sat with his head down, twiddling his thumbs. He looked about 23 years old, any woman would have agreed he was a good-looker. He was giving a lot more information than his dad.

"So you say you recognised the voices from a voice mail to your dad's answering machine?" Alex asked.

Jacob nodded. "He has his own garage, I work part-time. It was last Saturday, Dad had nipped out and the phone rang, but I didn't get to it in time. When I got into reception I looked at the machine and they'd left a message, so I played it. It was two blokes, said something like, _'look, you know who it is and we aint gonna let you get away with it! You still owe us, and if we don't get payed, we'll keep you in that place till you sort the mess out.' _maybe not that exactly, but at the moment the first one spoke I knew exactly where i'd heard them. Very distinctive Birmingham accent."

"Birmingham?" Gene asked. "Your dad told us they weren't english."

Jacob looked confused, "No, they we're white! Both had dark eyes, looked about thirty."

Alex sighed, it was getting to the end of a long day and felt like they were getting absolutely no where. Everything that Mr Graves had told them was completely different to what Jacob Graves had said.

"Right." Gene said. "Thanks Jacob, your gonna need to come back Monday, but you can go home now."

"Thanks Mr Hunt." Jacob said, and left.

"Well that was, interesting." Gene said to break the silence. He looked down at Alex who had her head on the table. "You alright?" He asked her.

"Yeah." She sat up straight, and yawned. Gene got up, leaving everything on the table. "Where are you going?" She asked.

"We're goin' home." Gene said and walked to the door.

"We can't! We've got all this to sort out yet." She gestured to the huge piles of paper on the table.

"Leave it 'till Monday. Come on Bolly the girls aren't even gonna be at home tonight and I am not wasting my time 'ere workin'."

Alex sat in thought for a moment, "I was not aware of that." she said, and quickly got up and walked out the room and followed Gene.

**

* * *

****Hope it was okay! Please review. **


	11. It's a start

**So sorry for the delay! I've already started on the next chapter so that will be posted really soon too. Kind of short, but if I added more it wouldn't be progressing the story line as well. Thank you to all who takes the time to read and review! **

**Don't own a thing. I hope you enjoy this chapter. **

**

* * *

**

~The next Monday~

"How long did it take them to get together before?" Alex asked Gene in his office. Gene had his back turned and was searching for some files in a drawer. Alex sat on his desk peering out into CID.

"Who?" Gene eventually replied.

"Shaz and Chris. I can't believe they aren't a couple, they totally deserve each other. Even Ray deserves that, whoever the hell she is that he's met up with this weekend." Alex said.

Gene pulled out yet another file out of the drawer, glanced at it, sighed and put it back. Alex waited for a response and turned her head when she realised he wasn't listening to her. Gene saw her staring at him out of the corner of his eye.

"Yeah 'nd maybe if Ray sticks with one 'e might shurrup 'bout us." He mumbled.

"What's he been saying now?" Alex asked hotly.

Gene slammed one draw shut and opened another, his patience beginning to wear thin.  
"That we're movin' things too fast."

"W... Well I guess we are..." Alex begun saying.

Gene started walking to the other side of the office where more drawers where,  
"Bolly, Ray said it not me!" He said with frustration.

Alex turned and positioned herself to be facing towards Gene again. "Yeah I know, I'm just saying. I mean things just fell into place. Molly and Nicole practically acting like sisters, me and you... Being me and you, I had boxes to unpack..."

"...And it was much simpler to unpack everything into my house making _our _home and we've been living like a happy little family since." Gene interrupted, then turned his attention outside. "Shaz!" He shouted.

Shaz looked up from her computer and cautiously walked into the office where Gene was stood looking very stressed. "Can I help Guv?" She asked kindly.

"Do you know where the damn file for Baily is?" He slammed a file drawer shut.

"Baily? I'll check in the store room it might have been moved there when he was let out." She said and turned to walk out.

"Whose Baily?" Alex asked.

"Oh, you're actually interested in _work_ now are you slack-off knickers?" Gene said sarcastically.

"I wasn't slacking off. I was helping you find out who these men are!" Alex protested.

Gene went to sit down and typed something into his computer. "By moaning?" Alex gave him a cold stare. "If looks could kill." He joked. He turned the computer screen round to Alex to show her a document.

She peered closer to screen. "Aaron Baily." She read out. "Okay," she sat back from the screen. "He was sent down for 5 years for stealing a car. What exactly does this have to do with our case?" She asked.

"Well," Gene began "first of all, I remember him well. Complete idiot. But he had a very broad Birmingham accent..."

"So, you're going on an accent?" Alex interrupted.

"No. I distinctively remember he stole it from a garage."

Alex nodded slowly. "And...?"

"... and it would make sense for it to be Graves's garage." He said, but Alex still looked sceptical.

"It's a long shot..." She began to say.

"It's a start." Gene corrected her. Alex nodded, and walked out of the office to get some serious work done.

* * *

About 2 hours after checking through the Baily files and going on the statement from Jacob the team quickly filled in a whiteboard of connections. Gene sat staring at it, not taking any attention of Alex still frantically scribbling down even more information. There was something he was forgetting about it, he knew there was a reason he had automatically thought of Baily, but even with all of the connections made he still wasn't satisfied. He kept trying to think back over the 4 hours it had taken him to catch Baily for the act 5 years ago.

It was a simple operation, gather all the evidence, get uniform to find the car, get a confession, done. He must have had help; but there was never any strong evidence for who that might have been. It was probably that what he was missing, he decided, the partner who was with Baily may have been involved in the car stealing.

Alex turned to Gene and asked, "So, going on this, who do you think the other man is?"

Gene shook his head and replied. "Not a clue."

* * *

**Thanks for reading. Next chapter will be up really soon!**


	12. You did put yourself in a lot of danger

**I've finished my exams - Yay! Which means I have much more time to spend on this story. Sorry if you have to scan the last few chapters to remember the story - I haven't updated in... a while. **

**However, remember this story continues from series 2 not 3. No creepy Keats in here! **

**I do own anything. **

**I hope you enjoy! And thank you for all your messages. **

**

* * *

**

Nicole pushed open the door to her mum's house. She dumped her school bag in the hallway and searched for the mum, not realising she had accidentally shut the door in Catherine's face.  
Nicole thought heard a muffled voice from the living room say, "You can't stop now." She was certain it was Eric's but then another voice could be heard who Nicole didn't recognise.

Behind her Catherine violently pulled the door and emerged into the hallway with anger on her face, "What did you do that for...?" She began to shout loudly until Nicole quickly shushed her before the 2 men noticed they were in the house. She gestured for Catherine to go upstairs and find Cheryl to say she was back.

Nicole slowly crept closer to the living room door, and pressed her ear against the wood so she could hear the conversation clearer.

"I've just told you Eric! This got your wives daughter's lot onto me! An' it's all because of you!" The unknown voice exasperated.  
Nicole blinked, he was obviously suggesting that Eric had done something – or got someone to do something to do with the law. She was immediately interested.

"Well I paid you a good enough price didn't I? So what if you get caught? You've got nothing to live for anyway." Eric replied, his voice angry but still hushed.

"So what? If I'm going down. You're coming down with me."

Nicole couldn't help but feel slightly excited at the thought of Eric being sent down for something. She hated everything he stood for. But she quickly cleared her head of these thoughts and became very aware of what situation she had put herself in. Of course, Gene and Alex would take what she said to be very serious but even she knew they would need evidence if they were to take any action against Eric. She grabbed her phone out of her pocket and pressed for the voice recorder.

"Ha! No one will ever guess it's me. Like you just said, Nicole's father is a DCI not to mention his new bird's his DI." Nicole scowled. She hated people talking about Gene and Alex's relationship; they just don't know the true story. Alex was more of a mum to Nicole than her biological one would ever be. "So... do you really think I'd be stupid enough to break the law, with the police that constantly close? Hm?" Eric continued, his voice deep in a threatening tone.

The other man scoffed, "I'm not the one beating my wife to keep her quiet about some evidence you lazily allowed her to find in the attic." Nicole's heart stopped.

At that moment Catherine appeared at the top of the stars and called, "Daddy! Come and look at the new dress Nicole bought me!" Then turned her attention to Nicole who was still frozen against the door. "Nicole what are you doing down there?" The door began to creak open and Nicole jumped back and tried to make it seem like she was innocently walking into the kitchen.

"Just getting a drink Catherine." She called up to her. Eric appeared out of the living room and gave Nicole a sly look, he was of course terrified by the thought that Nicole had possibly heard his conversation.

"Sorry poppet, I was just watching TV." He spoke towards Nicole, but she pretended to ignore him with her back turned. "Oh that's lovely Cathy." He smiled. "And have you thanked Nicole?" He said dryly.

"Yep." Catherine nodded and pranced into her bedroom.

"Liar." Nicole cursed under her breath.

There was an awkward silence and Nicole washed her cup out in the sink, her back still turned from Eric, who was staring at her. "Say." He said to her, making her turn around to face him. "How long have you been here?" He questioned.

Nicole remembered to keep looking relaxed, she knew any indication that she had over heard anything could put herself in a huge amount of danger.  
"Not long." She mumbled, and glanced up towards the clock. "Gonna go now anyway. Dad's probably waiting outside." She started walking past Eric, but he grabbed her arm.

Nicole immediately became frightened, she had just learnt that he abused Cheryl, and now he has reason to believe his stroppy teenage step-daughter whose father just happened to be a DCI could have learnt of his darkest secret. He could do anything to keep her quiet, he's a desperate man anyway Nicole thought. She kept her poker face and simply gave him a confused look and shook his hand off her.

"Problem?" She said in her acted teenage way. She gave him a challenging look, and he just shook his head. "Goodbye then." She said and quickly grabbed her bag and ran out of the house.

As soon as the door closed behind her she blew a sigh of relief. With no sign of her mum and just 2 men in the house she didn't like having to leave Catherine, but no matter how much she hated to admit it Eric was a good father, it still didn't mean he wasn't capable of hurting his daughter. So the second she got round the corner she dialled Alex's number...

* * *

"Goodbye then" Nicole's voice said on the playback of the recording. Alex was really impressed with what Nicole had done do find this information out.  
Gene however stood in the corner of the interview room scowling with his arms firmly in his pockets.

"Is that helpful?" Nicole asked Alex, ignoring her father.

"Well I'd definitely say so..." Alex began to say.

"You put yourself in serious danger Nicole." Gene said in a low, dark voice.

"Yeah I was pretty aware of that." Nicole said sarcastically.

"Nicole," Alex said. "Your dad is right."

Nicole sighed, she expected them to be more appreciative. "Oh so your taking his side now?"

"We both appreciate that you got this information." Alex said to Nicole. "But we would have preferred it if it had come from someone else, because you did put yourself in a lot of danger."

"I understand that." She turned to Gene. "But I practically grew up here, do you not think I picked up a few things?" She paused but Gene didn't say anything. "And anyway, I was going in my mum's house, how was I to expect to come into danger?"

Alex suddenly connected the unknown voice, "Nicole play the first bit again."

Nicole obeyed and played the conversation up to were Catherine interrupted. "Nicole... In your opinion, where does that man come from?" Nicole looked confused.

"You mean his accent?"Alex nodded. "Uhm, Birmingham."

Alex smiled, and looked at Gene, "Quite a _broad _Birmingham accent wouldn't you say Guv?"

Gene sighed and moved closer to the table. "Right. First things first." He looked at Nicole. "We get your Mum."

"Cheryl." She corrected.

"Cheryl... and Catherine away from Eric." Gene looked at Alex who nodded in agreement.

"Can I come?" Nicole asked eagerly.

"No." Gene replied sharply and both him and Alex left the room.

They turned the corner of the corridor to see Cheryl stood holding Catherine's hand. She had bruises and cuts all over her face, and her skin was pale white. As soon as Cheryl noticed Gene she instantly broke down into tears.

* * *

**Thank you SO much for reading! Next chapter will be up shortly.**


	13. Shock

**Hi! New chapter is below (obviously) and I don't own anything to do with Ashes to Ashes. I kept things in the perspective of the 'girls' of the Hunt household... It is only one scene and isn't really very interesting but still...**

**I hope you enjoy! And thank you to people who have subscribed to me and the story. ****P.s I don't have a beta reader so any mistakes you spot are my fault! **

**

* * *

**

They turned the corner of the corridor to see Cheryl stood holding Catherine's hand. She had bruises and cuts all over her face, and her skin was pale white. As soon as Cheryl noticed Gene she instantly broke down into tears.

**Alex**

The closer Alex walked towards Cheryl the worse her injuries appeared. Both sockets of her eyes had faded bruises, but on her left cheek was a new navy blue bruise, with an open wound where she had obviously been attacked with a sharp object. This deep cut stood out among the rest scattered across her face, as it was bleeding heavily.

This was the first time Alex had ever saw Gene's ex-wife, and Nicole was right, she thought, she looks nothing like her.

Cheryl's body was trembling so much, she found it difficult to stand; all her strength was going into her hand which was clutching onto Catherine's smaller hand.

Gene silently placed his hand on Cheryl's shoulder, and gently pushed her down the hallway, leaving Alex stood stunned. She kept her eyes fixed on Cheryl as Gene led them past her.

Alex found it hard to understand why Gene was showing a lack of sympathy towards Cheryl. She found it strange that Nicole hardly flinched at the thought of her mum being abused. Alex understood that Cheryl had left both Nicole and Gene when Nicole was very young. But Molly's father had done the exact same thing. And in Alex's opinion, from what she had been told, Cheryl made an effort with Nicole when Gene was in hospital. She put a roof over her head and kept her safe for nearly 3 years. Molly's father hadn't even attempted a birthday card for his daughter. But he was forgiven. So she was curious to know, what had Cheryl done in the past, which was bad enough for Gene and Nicole to be so cold towards her?

It had to have been bad. Alex had learnt that her mother had an affair. And that her Father was the cause of their deaths. And that he was suppose to kill her too. But given the chance, Alex thought, She'd forgive them in a heartbeat. After all, they brought Gene to her.

**Nicole**

It wasn't just one thing Cheryl had done to make Nicole hate her. She loved her mum of course, and she didn't want this to happen to her. She would never have wished pain on her mother.

She tried so hard for 3 years, trying to forgive her Mum. Trying to forget the past, the problem was, Cheryl **had **forgotten the past. And Nicole hadn't.

She was still sat in the interview room alone, the silence gave her the opportunity to think. This could be the turning point for her relationship with her Mother, she thought, perhaps now Cheryl would understand the pain and hurt she put Gene and her through.

But suddenly the broken silence of Cheryl's cries startled Nicole and distracted her away from her thoughts.

The door to the room cracked open and let in natural light, Nicole turned her head to see Gene leading Cheryl in, with Catherine close at her side. Nicole noticed Cheryl's wounds immediately, which was why she wasn't surprised when Shaz hurried in with the first aid box.

Gene pushed on Cheryl's elbow to lead her to the table. Nicole was looking down at the ground, but flicked her eyes up to look at Cheryl who let out another desperate whimper as Gene firmly sat her down. Still silent. And walked away.

Nicole followed the movements of Gene rather than Cheryl who was sat, in despair, in front of her; And watched as Alex appeared in the doorway without the same professional expression Gene had. Nicole wondered if Alex was thinking the same way as her, that she was more worried about Gene rather than Cheryl, but she shook the thought away when she looked towards her mother.

She felt the urge to put her arms around her and tell her it was okay, and that she was safe. The same way her grandma often did to her when she was in despair and need of comfort. But something held her back, she wasn't sure if it was that Gene was glaring at her emotionless, or the other reason.

It was just as well, she thought, because Shaz placed the large plastic first aid box on the surface of the table and clicked it open.

"Would you like any help?" Nicole asked Shaz kindly, breaking the awkward silence that filled the room.

"No, thank you Nicole." She replied, and gave her a weak smile, but Nicole noticed watery tears in Shaz's eyes, the look of pure worry.

That sight of Shaz, working efficiently and fluently as if she was on auto pilot, cleaning the wounds on Cheryl's face with antiseptic wipes, but with the sense of sadness and worry her expression was showing suddenly stabbed Nicole in the chest. She began to breathe frantically, but found it hard to trust her lungs were filling up with air because of a lump she felt in her throat which felt like it was choking her. Panicking, Nicole focused her eyes on the room, but her head began to spin and her eyesight became blurred. As her body temperature increasingly dropped she tried to move her left hand, but couldn't due to the fact it was clutching onto the corner of the table. The grasp was too strong for her own mind to get her to move, but she tried to find her numb legs and stood up, her body completely trembling. Somehow she managed to drag herself through the door of the interview room, craving natural light, and be completely un noticed by the full room of people that she was suffering some kind of claustrophobia attack.

As soon as she was in the familiar hallways her heart race decreased but by only a little, the light helped but now she was aware she was completely alone. She tried her hardest to find her way towards a group of chairs near the front desk of the building, but her lack of vision became the main problem as she stumbled, catching herself with her hand against the wall. Her legs instantly gave way and she slid down the grey walls and landed in a heap on the floor, her knees tucked close to her chest. She put her arms around her legs and hugged them close towards her, and rocked backwards and forwards gently.

Unknown to almost everyone, Molly had appeared through the main doors and witnessed Nicole stumbling around, and falling to the ground.

"Nicole!" She shrieked as she quickly ran towards her.

**Molly**

Molly slammed herself on the ground in front of Nicole.

"Nicole?" She said to her, hoping to get a response. But Nicole shown no knowledge of her presence, she had her head on her arms.

"Nicole." Molly tried again, louder this time. Nothing. Nicole was just breathing frantically. Molly put her hand under Nicole's chin and pulled her head up to look at her and gasped at the paleness of her face. "Nicole look at me!" Molly instructed but Nicole's eyes were searching around, missing Molly's direct gaze. Her eyes were full of fear, but Molly kept calm and collected as she remembered she was in a police station with plenty of people who would come to their help.

Molly looked around, searching for some one, anyone, but saw no one. She deliberated running back to the reception but then remembered it was abnormally empty when she had walked through minutes ago.

She turned her attention back to Nicole who had mumbled something, but Molly couldn't understand what she was trying to say. "What? Nicole say that again." She demanded calmly. Molly waited for Nicole to respond but she went back to avoiding eye contact with her at all costs.

Molly had never seen Nicole with such fear in her eyes, she always saw her as the bravest girl she knew. She wondered what had frightened her so much it had left her in this state, and mostly why no one was here. She froze. The though suddenly flashed through her that maybe there was danger close, but pushed the thought out of her mind. They were in the safest place of all, there was no danger.

"Nicole." She said to her again. Molly took her hand and wrapped it round Nicole's. "Can you hear me Nicole?" Nicole didn't move. She was completely still now. Molly immediately began to panic, before she had been shaking but her body was cold now, and she wasn't even shivering.

Molly started to get up, and to go and find help but Nicole squeezed her hand, not letting her go. It was progress, Molly thought, at least she knows i'm here.

A few moments later Alex walked out of the interview room into the hallway, only to see Molly bent over Nicole far down the hallway. Molly quickly glanced towards her and breathed a sigh of relief. She opened her mouth to speak to Alex but when she looked back at Nicole she had eye contact. She closed her mouth at once.

"Mols?" Nicole mumbled.

"Yeah Nicole it's okay, Mum's coming." Her eyes were a little brighter, the fear had faded but they seemed lost somehow. Like she was still suffering some type of anxiety attack.

Alex was silent as she gracefully ran down the corridor towards them. "Get Gene." She breathed to Molly as she crouched in front of Nicole and Molly allowed her to take Nicole's hand. "Go honey, quickly,"

Molly nodded and quickly stood up and started running down the long corridor, as she reached the door frame of the interview room she heard Shaz's voice. She threw herself into the room. Gene was stood close to Cheryl, Shaz with her back turned looking at the table. Gene shot his head round to look at Molly, who was gasping for air. She didn't realize how long the corridor was, and she had apparently ran down the corridor forgetting to breath.

"It's Nicole." She gasped, directly at Gene. He moved quickly to her and out of the door, his speed increased as soon as he saw the sight of Nicole hunched against the wall on the floor. "She just collapsed on the floor, she wasn't responding to me at all, but a moment ago she said my name." Molly said to Gene, struggling to keep up with him.

Alex glanced up to Gene. He knelt down next to her Alex and Molly stayed stood watching over Nicole. "Shock." Alex diagnosed.

"Maybe it's just stress." Gene suggested, not accepting what Alex had said.

"Gene." Her voice was higher pitched. "She's showing all signs of shock, not to mention what looks like an anxiety or." She paused to breathe. "Panic attack."

Molly kept her eyes on Nicole, who seemed to have made it back to reality at the sound of Alex and Gene arguing.

"Bolly. What would be bad enough to shock her?" Gene asked gruffly.

Alex's arms flew in the air. Nicole smiled slightly, and looked up at Molly. Molly smiled back and sat next to Nicole, and put her arm round her.

"Thanks." Nicole whispered to her and put her head on Molly's shoulder.

"You had me worried for a second there sis. Thought you'd gone round the bend" Molly said. Still secretly enjoying the entertainment of Alex and Gene arguing. Not a rare sight to the girls.

"Sorry." Nicole said, also watching Alex and Gene.

"What started all of this? What where you thinking about?" Molly asked curiously.

Nicole froze, but just shook it off. She gritted her teeth together. "I don't know." She lied.

* * *

**Please review! Next chapter up soon!**


	14. Chris wants to go to Narnia

Apologies! I didn't realise that I hadn't uploaded this chapter! I've had it on my computer for a while and I've already got the next chapter wrote. So I will upload that in a few days! Thank you so much to everyone for STILL following this story, I know it's dragging on a bit but I just can't seem to stop writing chapters! I guess I just don't want it to end.

Any way, Thank you VERY much everyone!

I don't own anything!

* * *

Alex walked into Gene's office slowly; he had his back turned, glaring out of the back window onto the street below. She couldn't tell his mood or expression, but she knew he would be thinking about Nicole. Or Cheryl. Or Both.

She glanced behind her, the entire department was empty. Half of the team had been sent out to the abandoned hotel looking for clues. The other half, capturing Eric.

"Gene?" She said lovingly. He didn't respond. She moved closer to him and put her arms around his waist and leaned her cheek against his left shoulder. "Are you okay?" She asked.

Gene breathed out; he seemed to have been holding the same breath for a while. He relaxed and moved his head to look at Alex, although not giving eye contact. "Course I am Bolly."

"What are you thinking?" Her voice in the same concerned tone.

Gene momentarily gave Alex eye contact, but quickly glanced away again. He cleared his throat and stood upright. "Wondering where the hell my team's got too."

Alex straightened up and let her arms drop to her side. "Yeah, I think they're checking the hotel again." She said; referring to the abandoned hotel they had found Mr Graves and his son, Jacob, 4 days ago.

"Yeah. Working isn't usually on their agenda." Gene forced a smile when he noticed Alex's hurt expression. "I better go and help 'em eh?"

Alex gave a weak smile back, "I'll take Nicole home. Meet you there."

Gene sighed at her failed attempt to cover her emotions. "Actually." His tone changed. "Can you stay with her? Worried 'bout her." It was only half a lie. He _was _worried about Nicole, but it was the abandoned hotel. He wasn't sure why but he didn't want Alex near it.

"Of course." She said, with a winning smile. _So it was that he was worried_ she thought. "She'll be fine Gene. I promise."

Gene smiled back and kissed her forehead. "See you later." He said and strolled out of his office.

"Gene?" Alex called after him. He turned quickly. "That hotel..." She begun to say, her voice had a hint of desperation in it.

"Yeah Bols?"

"Just... Be careful 'kay?" She bit her lip.

Usually at this point Gene would have rolled his eyes, shook his head and replied, "Yeah whatever." But he remembered the fear in her eyes when she had came down the stairs of the hotel, and how worried he was about her when she clutched to him afterwards like he was her lifeline.

"Yeah Bols." He repeated. "Love you." He turned and was gone.

"Love you too." Alex whispered to herself.

* * *

"Wanna talk?" Alex asked Nicole as she offered her a glass of water and sat on her bed in front of her. She gave her a sympathetic smile.

Nicole sighed. "Not really." She sipped the water before putting it onto her bedside table.

"It must have been hard..." Alex pressed. "Seeing your mother like that."

"Yeah. It was." She said dryly. Alex could plainly see that Nicole wanted to be left alone, but she was curious to find out what she had obviously not been told about Cheryl.

"Well she's safe now." Alex smiled at her for reassurance. "She's with Shaz."

Nicole nodded. "Good. I have a question. What about Eric?"

"Locked away safely." Alex reassured.

Nicole smiled smugly, "Double whammy if he is involved in something bigger right?"

Alex smiled back, "Yeah. We just need the right evidence."

Nicole nodded, she understood that Gene was refusing to use Nicole's voice clip as evidence, and since he wasn't going anywhere in anytime, it gave them time to investigate it further.

Alex sighed, the conversation wasn't getting where she had hoped. "Nicole..." She said a little sharper. "I just want to know... For the case... If there was any violence in your mum's life before all of this."

"Violence?" Nicole asked curiously, she was fully aware that Alex had caught on that there was a reason behind the cold relationship between her and her mum, but she wanted to hear her theories first.

"Yeah like you know, maybe an ex partner or something?" Alex felt uneasy about asking, she wasn't sure how many relationships Cheryl had been in after her marriage with Gene.

Nicole inhaled; she knew she would have to explain now. She couldn't let Alex think that there was any possibility that Gene was ever violent towards Cheryl.

"Well..." She began, but was cut off by Molly who walked into the room. "You should go to Dad." She said. Alex raised her eyebrow. "I know how anxious you are by not being with him on this case. I'm okay seriously." Alex still didn't look persuaded. "We can talk later okay?" She promised.

Alex nodded. "Okay." She said, kissed her cheek and got up off her bed. "Later Mols." She said and playfully mussed her hair. Molly scowled cheekily.

"Later." Molly replied and jumped on the bed with a monopoly box. "Wanna play?" She said excitedly to Nicole.

Alex turned to look at them from the door frame. Nicole was smiling as she replied, "Yeah but I get to be banker." It was difficult to believe that Nicole was completely back to her normal self after seeing her in a fit of terror. It made her feel guilty to leave, but Nicole gave her a quick reassuring smile so she left.

* * *

When Alex pulled up to the hotel, she glanced up at its tall structure. It seemed to be bending over her, beckoning her in at the same time as screaming to be left alone. The abandoned state it was in was intimidating, Alex couldn't have imagined it as ever having life in it, and it actually being used as a hotel. Instead of pondering at it, Alex turned her attention to the officers in front of it. Shaz was stood furthest from the entrance; she was speaking into a radio and seemed to be searching for something on the ground.

"Shaz?" Alex said to her as she reached her. Shaz turned quickly.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry Ma'am, I didn't know you we're here." She breathed and laughed at the same time.

"It's okay, I didn't mean to startle you." Alex replied, and pointed to the ground were Shaz was recently staring at. "Are you searching for something?"

Shaz shook her head, "Not anything specific, no. I was searching for some clues."

Alex nodded, "I don't think you're going to find anything out here, why aren't you in the hotel?"

"Guv told me to stay out here. I don't know why. I'm not complaining mind you, that thing," she pointed towards the hotel, "Creeps me out a little."

"Yeah me too." Alex admitted. "Anyway, I'm going up." She said in a different tone.

Shaz laughed. "You are a character ma'am." She said and beamed at her. Alex returned the smile. "Be careful though."

"Don't worry, I'm sure all the ghosts and ghoulies are hiding away from the Guv. They're more scared of him than he is of them." She joked.

Alex got to the foot of the steps, there were plenty of people around, so it didn't seem as creepy. Having forgotten to pick up a radio, or ask Shaz to find Gene's location, she grabbed her phone from her pocket.

_I'm downstairs, where are you?_ She typed onto the keypad and sent it to Gene.

Chris glanced out of one of the windows. "Isn't that DI Drakes car Guv?" He asked, then got distracted by an old wardrobe.

Gene read the text message. _Upstairs. Stay with Shaz and that's an order._ He replied.

"Guv!" Chris shouted in amusement. Gene turned round to see the wardrobe doors open, with long fur coats inside it.

"Chris get out of there. You're not gonna find bloody Narnia any time soon." Gene shouted to him.

"What are these doing in here?" Chris wondered.

_No. Just tell me where you are. This is compromise. _Said the replying text message from Alex. Gene sighed, "Brooks. Location." Gene barked into the radio.

"Reception area Guv." The young constable replied.

"Bring DI Drake up to the third level. I'd fetch her myself but I've got to save my DC from the wicked ice queen." Gene ordered sarcastically.

* * *

I hope you liked this chapter, if there was any mistakes you spotted, that would be my fault!

Next chapter up in a couple of days promise!


	15. Alejandro

**I am so so so sorry for not updating this story for such a long time. I've had this chapter resting in my documents folder for far too long. I began to feel very detached from writing; I felt I just wasn't good enough. But I don't want to leave this story unfinished, and I know of so many kind people who would encourage me. If you are reading this, thank you. I won't leave this story unfinished. Ashes to Ashes also doesn't belong to me… Shocker right?**

~Recently~  
Alex comforts Nicole after a panic attack she experienced when Cheryl (her birth mother) after being abused by her husband, Eric who has recently been brought in for questioning. Gene returns to the hotel that they found Mr Graves and his Son were held captive. Alex had just arrived despite Gene's orders for her to stay away.

* * *

Alex reached the top of the steps and told Brooks to go back to the reception area, when she entered the room Gene was in she waited in the door frame, arms crossed.

"What was that for?" She said to Gene who hadn't directly looked at her but knew she was there.

"If you haven't noticed Bolly it's a big hotel and you could have easily have gotten yourself lost." He said, whilst rummaging through the pockets of some of the fur coats Chris has laid down on the bed.

She began to walk towards him. "I've been in here before and didn't get lost." She protested.

"That's different. I didn't tell you to do that and if you remember correctly I wasn't too happy about the fact that another team had ordered _you _to go up to the top floor." He replied.

Alex opened her mouth but became distracted by a muffling in an old oak wardrobe next to her. She peered closer and noticed Chris's hand moving the clothing around.

"Chris what the hell are you doing in there?" She asked.

"He's talking to the Lion." Gene interrupted Chris from explaining. "What's wrong Chris, you scared of the billy goat?"

Chris chose to ignore the Narnia references. "It's deceivingly big in here. There's loads of these coats. I mean, don't you think it's a little... strange?"

Just as Alex was about to answer they suddenly heard a loud bang from the corridor, followed by a cry of pain. Alex immediately turned to go out of the door but Gene got there first.

"What was that?" Chris asked, frantically trying to get out of the wardrobe and untangle himself from the coats, and failing.

"I'll look." Gene said. "Stay here." His voice demanding, his eye contact on Alex, his expression pleading her, this one time not to follow him. She nodded, and allowed him to walk out of the door. She took a quick glance at Chris, who had managed to escape and now stood, in one of the coats.

Alex couldn't help but find it amusing, "Chris. That really does not suite you." She joked, then turned her head back, creeping around the doorframe to check for Gene, remembering she hadn't heard his footsteps going down the stairs. Or any noise for that matter. When she looked around the corner she didn't see anything, other than the creepy corridor with its yellow stained walls. She took a step out of the door, and was immediately hit by a freezing cold breeze.

"Gene?" She chattered through her teeth. The breeze picked up, and it only occurred to Alex seconds later, there was no open windows in the corridor. Her heart started thumping loudly in her chest.

"Gene?" She called again, more frantically this time, panic setting in. She listened for an answer, but everything was silent. She couldn't even hear the sound of Chris rustling around anymore, and when she turned back to the room she was previously in, the door immediately slammed in her face. She would have blamed it on the wind, if it wasn't strange enough that there was no source for it. She put her hand on the door handle, gasping as the metal had also turned freezing cold. The wind got harsher, pinching at her skin, but swirling all around her from several directions now. Her panic grew when she put pressure on the handle and it wouldn't budge.

"Chris!" She shouted loudly and clearly, hoping he could hear her, and when no answer came she banged her fist against the door. It rattled, but didn't ease open at all, and after each time she hit it, the hinges seemed to get stiffer and the door rattled less and less, until eventually despite her efforts the door became still, so she continued banging against the hard wooden door with a continuous rhythm, each time scraping a layer of skin off of her right hand and eventually making it bleed. She couldn't admit defeat, so she decided to turn around and run at the door, and the further away she walked, the calmer the wind got.

"_Ma'am?"_Alex jolted still.

"Shaz?" She shouted, laughing hysterically hoping that Shaz was somewhere to help her, that her feeling of being completely isolated was all part of her imagination.

"_I miss you ma'am."_ She heard the whisper beside her again, causing her to whip around in the direction of the sound, finding nothing.

"Shaz where are you?" She shouted, frantically searching around.

"_I have to go." _Her voice said again, and at that moment the wind died, and the eerie atmosphere was gone. Alex could hear footsteps, birds chirping outside, mumbled voices from below.

"Bolly?" Gene ran down the corridor towards Alex, who was facing the opposite way.

She turned slowly, her eyes wide with fright. Immediately Gene noticed her hand dripping with blood.

"Alex what 'ave you done? What 'appened?" He asked her frantically, but she didn't reply. She didn't seem to have any sense of reality. He firmly put his hands on her shoulders and gently shook her in attempt to gain eye contact. "Drake look at me." He said, his voice an attempt to sound like a strict command, but it actually sounding more like he was desperately worried.

Alex glanced down at her right hand, and winced as she flexed the exposed muscles. "The door." She whispered in a confused tone, she glanced over Gene's shoulder to examine the recently locked door to find it wide open.

Gene sighed, "Come on; let's get you out of 'ere. You're never to set foot in this place again." Alex would have resisted against Gene's words if she was listening to them. She wasn't scared anymore, she was curious. What just happened? Did she really just hear Shaz, the Shaz in which Gene and her left in 1982? Surely not. That world doesn't exist anymore, right?

* * *

"Oh my goodness, Mum what happened to your hand?" Molly exclaimed, looking up from a magazine on the sofa when Alex and Gene walked in through the front door.

Alex looked down at her bandaged hand. "Uhm…" She began thinking of a reasonable accident that could of occurred, trying to protect her daughter from the gruesome truth when Gene interrupted.

"Your fruit cake of a mother tried to knock a door down and didn't bloody realise she was ripping her hand apart." Alex shot Gene a warning look, which he dismissed with a wave of his hand, his opinion about telling the truth having always been the same, it's best to be heard.

Molly made a face, "Well that wasn't very clever."

Alex laughed, mainly out of shock about Molly's reaction. She had always looked at her as her innocent, dependable little girl, and it started to become reality that she was becoming responsible, critical minded, a lot of the time. Then her mind flickered to Nicole, Alex had seen Molly growing, changing through the hardest stage in her life. Gene had missed it all, Nicole went through that stage without him, and she couldn't ever imagine that. It's why she'd fought so hard to wake up, she didn't want to miss a thing. And yet, Gene and Nicole are so close, like she hadn't really changed at all. And that reminded her, Nicole, she had to speak to her.

"I know." Alex nodded "I'll be more careful." She smiled, and turned to Gene. "I'll check on Nicole."

When she reached the landing and peered into Nicole's bedroom she saw her fumbling around in her wardrobe. Nicole recognised that the footsteps coming up the stairs had stopped outside of her room and assumed it was Molly. "Want a rematch already Mols? You can be the banker this time if it's really that important." She said smugly.

Alex smiled. "It's me."

Nicole's expression became serious. She slowly turned and stood up to look at Alex. "Come and sit." She gestured her hand towards her bed. Knowing what it was Alex wanted to discuss, and knowing it is a topic Nicole despises even thinking about, she grabs her childhood teddy bear on her bed side table and hugs it close to her chest. "I guess you should know…" She gulped. "What, happened. Why the relationship with my mother is so strange."

Alex put her hand on Nicole's arm. "Only if you feel strong enough. I just want to understand better sweetie."

Nicole nodded, "I know." She sighed. "It's hard to think of how to put it…" Nicole was silent for a few moments. Reliving what happened, was not one her favourite past times. "I suppose, from the beginning eh?" She forced a smile. Alex shifted to become more comfortable. "When Cheryl left my Dad, she didn't stay in England. She ran off to loads of different places in Europe. She eventually settled in Spain after she decided she'd fell in love with a Spanish waiter." Nicole rolled her eyes for dramatic effect. "Alejandro. After a couple of years, Alejandro had started sleeping around with other women… And apparently a couple of men too." She chuckled. "But Cheryl still wanted him around. God knows why. And to keep him in her life, she decided to tell him she was pregnant." Alex raised an eye brow. "She wasn't. But it didn't work, he threw her out of the house so she came crawling back to glorious Nottingham. The first thing she did was come straight to our house, and claim she had a right to see me. Which was true, Dad couldn't really deny her could he? He gave her 3 hours to take me to the local park." Her eyes began to sting and she could feel moisture beginning to seep in the corners of her eyes. "I remember screaming so hard at a stranger who was claiming to be my mother."

"How old were you?" Alex asked politely.

Nicole sat it thought for a few moments. "About 7. To me, I didn't have a clue who she was, but she promised me we'd feed the ducks, so I'd eventually agreed to go with her. For the first couple of hours we were just walking around, feeding the ducks, I told her that my Grandmother had bought me a piano to play on, and what I wanted for Christmas..." She stopped to take a deep breath. "It was really cold. There was snow on the ground, and the pond had a thin layer of ice on it. I remember she was just about to take me back, and I saw a man running toward us, shouting 'Cheryl, Cheryl!' with a Spanish accent. He was clutching a passport in his right hand. She ran straight up to him, a look of joy all over her face, but he didn't take any notice of her. He was looking straight at me, with rage in his eyes. He'd figured she wasn't pregnant, and she'd stole a lot of money from the house before leaving. He'd came all the way from Spain just to get it back. He started screaming at Cheryl about the money, grabbing her bag to try and find it. He eventually tipped it out and everything fell to the ground, so I went to pick it all up for her. I'd got too close to Alejandro, and he grabbed my arm. Calling me a stupid girl, or whatever… All I really remember is how cold the water was when he threw me in."

Alex's hand tightened on her arm, almost checking that she was okay, that she was truly there. "I've been swimming since I was old enough to walk, and Cheryl pulled me out of the water as soon as she could get away from Alejandro beating her. An old lady saw everything, Alejandro was prosecuted."

Alex blinked. "But, Cheryl helped you out, she took care of you. Why…" She began to say when Nicole held up her hand.

"You're right. She did. And I respected her for a long time, I actually called her my Mum, I was proud of her. But when I was 11, she told me that every time she looks at me, it reminds her of, and I quote, 'That terrible day when Alejandro wouldn't stop hurting me.'"

Alex took a sharp intake of breath. "She never cared about you after all…" She said, the story now making sense in her head.

"I remind her of all the failed relationships she's ever had." Nicole said, her voice a whisper. Tears began brimming over her eyes and rolling freely down her cheeks.

Alex moved next to her and hugged her tightly, repeating the words, "It isn't your fault." Softly to her. Nicole may have grown up, but inside she was still the little girl Gene had left behind, and she needed a mother. After about 5 minutes Nicole's cries died down and she was content with just lying her head on Alex's shoulder.

"What happened to your hand?" She asked quietly.

Alex shuddered at the memory at what she had experienced in the hotel. "I, uhm, was trying to get a door open and didn't realise I was hurting myself."

"Owch." Nicole replied. "Thank you." She smiled, "6 months, and I feel so close to you, it's like you've been here my whole life."

"BOLLY! We have a situation!" Gene roared from downstairs.

Nicole chuckled, "You better go. That's his serious voice."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it. I'm here for you, always Nicole. I love you just as much as I love Molly, you have to know that."

Nicole nodded. "I know."

"DRAKE!"

"Go quick go!" Nicole shouted and pushed Alex out of the room in a fit of light-hearted giggles. She felt better, she felt like finally, someone understood.

* * *

**Next chapter soon, I've got plenty of time and motivation! Thank you if you read this chapter, sorry it was so heavy. x**


	16. Imaginative number plates

**This chapter took a very long to write I'm very sorry, I was really conflicted about the way to end it. I hope i've done it justice and next chapter as soon as possible! Also, I don't have a Beta reader I rely upon trusty spell checker so apologies for any errors!**

**I do not own anything to do with the BBC or Ashes to Ashes.**

* * *

"Jason." Alex said stunned as she stared at the young boy stood in the hallway. His face was a bloody mess, and there was clear indication of bruising all over his arms and legs.

"I'm s-sorry." He mumbled to Gene and handed one of the envelopes he had in his hand. Gene cautiously took the green crumpled envelope with '_The Law.' _Scribbled in messy handwriting on the front. He gave Alex a dubious look before tearing it open, revealing a letter wrote on a piece of paper pulled out of a note pad. Gene read the small paragraph with no expression on his face, then silently passed it to Alex. Her hand was trembling, she had a bad feeling. They both did, it had gotten personal. The writer of the letter knew where they live.

'_So the gaybo did the job then?' _Alex read the first line in disgust. _'Good. He truly is a puff.' _Alex looked up at Jason, his face was full of shock. _'I'll get to the point, I don't have long. Eric. I need him, you've got until tomorrow. Leave him at the hotel. 11 pm on the dot or you'll suffer the consequences.' _

She looked up at Gene, his expression was still giving no indication to how he was feeling or what his next plan of action was. The silence, apart from Jason's whimpers as he cried, was awkward. Alex remembered him showing signs of shock and led him to the dining room to sit down. Gene and Alex sat on seats on the opposite side of the table to Jason, wanting to know about exactly what had happened to him, and hoping he would be as helpful as he was before.

"Did you see the person who gave you this?" Alex asked him calmly, raising the letter in her right hand.

Jason brought his hands to his face and rocked gently backwards and forwards before stopping to nod silently.

She continued, "It was one of the same men that left the message on the answer phone, the same man who bundled you in a car and left you in the hotel…"

"The same man who Nicole overheard at Cheryl's house." Gene said flatly. His blood was boiling, Nicole had been so close to a man who had violently attacked an innocent young man, and who knows what else he was capable of?

Jason began to go into a full scale fit of terror, and Alex jumped round the table to try and calm him down, giving him breathing exercises and reassuring him he was safe. When Jason eventually stopped crying and went silent Alex turned to notice Gene had left the room.

"Jason." She tried to gain his attention, he looked at her. "Jason I'm going to call a friend of mine, they'll keep you safe tonight." Panic flashed on his face again and Alex was quick to dismiss it, "You can't stay here Jason, you were sent here. They know exactly where you are. Okay?" Jason nodded silently. Alex forced a smile to reassure him and grabbed her phone.

Gene wasn't good at dealing with emotionally traumatised people like Alex. It's the kind of thing she's trained for, so he left her to it while he went to speak to Nicole and Molly. He was worried, although he wouldn't show that on the outside he genuinely feared what these men could do to his family. _Pull yourself together Hunt, you've got a reputation to withstand you know._ But it wasn't just a regular problem, it was much too personal for his liking. His ex-wives husband was involved, someone whom his daughter had lived with for nearly 3 years. _Oh great, here comes the guilty conscience. _No. He had to be logical, tactical, he couldn't let his guilt overwhelm him right now, he needed to get Nicole and Molly safe. He reached Nicole's bedroom and peered inside to find the girls sat together in silence staring at him.

"You heard." He said to them. Nicole nodded. Gene sighed, how dare some stupid bastards upset his daughters. "Listen…" He started. "It's been a long day for you, I know."

"Seriously?" Nicole interjected. "You're bothered about me right now? I'm fine, it's you and Mum! I mean I know you're police officers and this is your job and all but…"

Molly coughed, "But, this feels different." She added in a small voice.

Gene looked at them both, "Well it's not." He said with total confidence. "But I need you to stay at Grandma's tonight because we'll need to get to the station very early tomorrow."

Usually Nicole would have argued back, but she could tell Gene was lying. She knew that there really was more to it, so she agreed to stay with her Grandma to make it easier for him. There was no need for Gene and Alex to have concern about Nicole and Molly when they had themselves and their whole team to be worried about.

She nodded and stood up to collect her things together for staying with her grandmother but she was still a little weak on her knees and Molly had to grab her arm quickly to steady her. Gene walked towards them and kissed their foreheads. "Thank you." He said and walked back out.

Just as Gene was reaching the bottom of the stairs when there was a knock at the door, Alex quickly emerged and opened the door.

"D.I. Drake." The man greeted.

"Hi Mike, thank you so much for coming." Alex smiled and shook his hand. "Please, come in."

He was small, and wearing a suit that was probably passed down from his father apart from his tie which had the phrase, _'Happy fathers day' _written on it. His face quite droopy, he seemed in his mind 50's if not older. As he walked in he wiped his insanely shiny black boots on the mat in a very polite manner. Gene didn't recognise him from anywhere, so the question on his mind was how the hell Alex knew him.

"Gene." Alex snapped him out his thought process. "This is Mike Sylvester, he's here to keep Jason safe for tonight."

Mike held out his slightly wrinkled hand to Gene and smiled, "Nice to meet you DCI Hunt."

Gene shook his hand, and was beginning to ask what his occupation actually was when Jason walked out onto the hallway.

"Ah, you are Jason yes?" Mike said politely to him. Jason shook his head.

"He's very shook up." Alex whispered in his ear. "He's had multiple panic attacks."

Mike nodded and straightened up, like he was squaring up to the task. "Jason, my name is Mike, to keep your safe for tonight you're going to stay with me. We live not too far away and my wife is cooking a lovely chicken pie tonight. It is going to be our pleasure for you to be our guest."

Jason still looked weary. "It's okay, Jason." Alex said to him. "Mike is my friend, we'll sort all of this out."

Finally he smiled and went to walk out of the door, lead by Mike but stopped just before and turned to Gene. "Will I be safe with him?" He said, gesturing to Mike who was opening to passenger door to his car.

"I don't 'ave a clue mate, I've never seen 'im before in me life." Gene patted his shoulder. "'ave fun!" he called after him and closed the door.

Gene began to ask Alex where she had met this 'Mike bloke' until he was interrupted by her thumping him hard on his right shoulder.

"Ow! What was that for?" He asked with a mock expression of shock and hurt on his face.

Alex smiled smugly, "For being a bastard."

At that point Molly was walking from the landing to the bathroom as Gene called, "Molly! Your mother is beatin' me up, call the police!"

Molly chuckled, "Leave me out of this I'm going to shower."

"You're goin' to pay for that." Gene said whilst rubbing his shoulder, which was actually quite sore, not that he'd let Alex have the gratitude of knowing that.

"Bring it." Alex said suggestively then ran off into the kitchen.

"You can't just say that then run off you great tart." He called after her.

He slowly crept up to the kitchen and found her with her back turned to him. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him with force. After all of the stress they had experienced after the day, Alex was surprised to find herself feeling very allured pressing herself against Gene, and knowing the girls were upstairs getting prepared for spending the night with Nicole's grandma she leant in to kiss him. Even though he also wanted the taste of her mouth on his lips he knew she had to be punished. Just as they were inches apart Gene pushed Alex away, which she was determined she was having none of, so in a swift move she spun round with her hand still in his which sent them tumbling to the floor with Alex straddling over him.

"You're extremely stubborn." Gene accused.

"I know." Alex said seductively whilst kissing his neck. She smiled smugly, assuming Gene had given up to his temptations as his hands made their way over her body. She let out a small moan; he knew exactly how to push all of her buttons which was why it truly was cruel when he took the chance to roll her off of him and stand up, leaving her on the floor pouting.

Gene smiled at her expression, and winked at her. "Punishment…" He held out a hand to pull her up with, "D.I Drake."

She took his hand and stood up. "I'll get you tonight Mr Hunt." She said whilst walking off.

"That better be a promise rather than a threat." He whispered in her ear.

* * *

"Gosh it's freezing outside." Alex commented as she got back into the car after taking Nicole and Molly into Alice's house.

Gene didn't seem to notice her presence; he was staring straight ahead with a glazed look in his eyes.

"Gene?" He looked at her,

"Yeah sorry Bolls what did you just say?"

Alex had a quizzical expression on her face, "Are you okay?"

Gene started the car and pulled off at full acceleration, as usual, "Just dandy." He replied.

They'd been driving for about 3 minutes, it was on 10 minutes away but the sky was dark with only the light of the moon and Gene had chose to drive the longer way down the country streets because 'It's more fun' and much to Alex's annoyance Gene refused the car's pleas to slow down around bends. Being in this situation many times, and generally fearing for her life she refused to speak and begun tapping the dashboard. Gene smiled smugly at her.

"What?" She said once she realised.

"I've been drivin' down these roads since I was 17 years old…"

Alex sighed, "I didn't say anything did I?"

"You don't 'ave to." Gene replied.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She questioned, but was cut short when Gene slammed hard on the brakes to avoid a collision with an oncoming Peugeot.

"What the hell?" Alex breathed.

"Baily." Gene announced and put the car in reverse. "gotcha."

"How do you know?" She asked.

"His number plate. B41LY. Very imaginative."

As the car reversed the head lights revealed something in the road in the distance. A lifeless female body lying in the middle of the road in a pool of blood, pouring out from the numerous gashes all over her torso.

* * *

**Thank you all for every one that still reads this very long going story! I hope you are happy with the story line!**


End file.
